Star Fox: High School Days of the Dead
by Zythxx
Summary: A spin-off to my original trilogy 'Star Fox: High School Days' series. When a deadly pandemic quickly spreads across Corneria, and the whole Lylat System: Fox and his friends must fight for their lives to find some kind of safe haven from the risen dead, and the Worsen - Those still alive against them. YOU, the reader must decide who lives and who dies. Sporadic updates over time.
1. The First Day

_**Please READ the explanation to this story at the end of this chapter as it holds some important information on how this story will work!**_

 _ **Welcome to the first chapter of 'Star Fox: High School Days of the Dead'**_

 _ **Inspired by:**_

 _ **Star Fox series**_

 _ **Resident Evil series**_

 _ **The anime 'High School of the Dead'**_

 _ **The Walking Dead series**_

 _ **X**_

 _Fox walked toward school in better spirits than he had in the last few weeks of school._ After the Halloween party at Jessie's house, the young vulpine had lost the trust his friends once instilled in him as both a friend and the centerpiece of the frame that was their friendship. Although Fox and Jessie got lucky and she didn't become pregnant after unprotected sex, it didn't change the fact that Fox's friends didn't have the same confidence in him as their friend they once held. Not all was lost after how Fox acted like an ass, he was winning back their trust little by little, though there was no telling exactly how long it would take.

He breathed easy as the crisp, fresh clean air brushed up against his fur, making his hair dance in the wind. As he closed his eyes and just enjoyed the glowing warmth of the sun that his fur was absorbing, the cold wind of autumn's days were reassuring to the young man with a stressed brain. In time his friends would return to his side, he just had to show them he was capable of being trusted, and showing the friendship he once shared with them before.

"Good morning Fox." The young vulpine turned around with a wide grin of a smile to the melody that sung in his ears. Fox McCloud turned to face his new sweetheart, however unofficial and not public yet. She smiled back at him arms crossed against her chest, keeping her books close. The wind starting dancing with her own white hair as he looked into her eyes that struck a type of purity not seen in teenagers today. The kind that is compassionate, understanding, and full of love. She stared back at him with her cerulean eyes that glistened in the morning rays of Sol.

"Good morning Luna." Fox walked up to the she-wolf as they shared a brief embrace. Fox and Luna stood there for a moment before continuing on toward school to start the day. Fox and Luna were friends, they weren't together although most of the school had picked them to be. After the party that got both Jessie and the young man into huge trouble, they decided it was too stressful to keep their relationship. Surprisingly Jessie understood a lot was going on in the vulpine's mind, and ended it on good terms. Jessie stayed a close friend to Fox, but as well as an enemy to his peers. They talked often, and she reminisced what she had with the vulpine, but for once she thought about more than herself.

That's when Luna came into the picture, she had moved to Corneria from Fortuna months before her father had originally planned onto. She didn't like to talk about it, but apparently there had been a few cases of beings going mad, to the point they would cause harm to themselves or others. Luna's father figured that the black market for drugs were becoming too big of a factor for Fortuna's residences, and so they moved their family for the protection of his young daughter. Fox took comfort in her open heart and understanding presence, however she just didn't feel the same way about the vulpine. It's not that she didn't find him attractive, in fact he was one of the better looking guys in the whole school. No something else turned the interest switch off on Luna's interest power wall.

"Hi Fox." The two looked toward the young vixen who had called his name as they approached the gated school. Krystal Cerin stood opposite to Fox and Luna. Accompanied by her young fennec friend Fara Phoenix. They both held the same half ass smile and gave him a tedious look. "Morning."

"Morning Krystal." The two walked away, Fara without even saying 'hi'. No what turned Luna away from Fox was all the competition there was for his affection. Luna unlike most people her age, had the dating game mostly figured out. She wasn't as oblivious as young teens are today, and knew exactly when she wasn't welcomed, and how women fought one another for a man's affection. It was vice versa for teens of today for two men to like the same women, or two women to have a crush on the same man, and she just didn't want any part of it.

No, Luna had other things to worry about than fighting and participating an already four-way battle for the vulpine's heart. The battle that involved young sweet hearts and new faces of friends who got so close so fast. Miyu Linx was Fox's oldest and dearest friends who knew each other ever since they were little. Krystal Cerin moved here around the same time Fara Phoenix did, and after Fara and Fox were done dating Krystal thought about the possibility of the two of them being together, but Jessie had to come and ruin it for her. Jessie had known Fox for many years and despite having a crush on him, never told him how she felt until last year. It was a fierce battle between the four girls, and none of them wanted to back down to one another. The only other problem was…

The young wolf knew that Fox was getting a little too attached to her. Although she knew he needed the attention, and someone to vent to about his issues, she didn't want to lead him on as well. She was dropping subtle hints here and there, but Fox, like most young men are about as sly as a very loud fighter jet passing by. Luna knew he wanted more, what she didn't know was how to let him down in a gentle way after all of this. She looked back to him as her smile vanished, and he looked to her where his face was also absent of the smile he had before.

It hurt the young vulpine, to be given the cold shoulder, to be ignored as if he didn't have feelings or emotions and couldn't feel a sense of abandonment from his friends. It was hard for him to accept it, compared to how things used to be beforehand. But Fox knew he was getting a taste of his own cold, apathetic medicine. He shrugged at Luna and showed a small smile, at least they were starting to talk to him again.

X

"Alright class we are going to finish up P.E. today with a mile around the track, go at your own pace. Once you're done head to the locker room and I'll see you tomorrow." Coach Hedrick, the Great Dane gym teacher addressed the kids of his class and headed toward his office for the end of the class period. Fox breathed heavy after an intense game of 3v3 basketball against some of the more competitive teens in his class. He stood up tall taking in gargantuan breaths of fresh air that had now warmed as Sol rose higher in the day. Fox let all his troubles slowly seep away out of his being as his body began to cool down, the air chilling his skin as he leaned against the fenced roof at the top of the school. This installation to the school was only a few months old that had started this school year. It was designed for another place to practice sports and perform P.E. classes as the school's numbers grew over the years. There was also a helipad for emergency helicopters, jets, and spaceships if need be.

"Hey Fox" the vulpine turned toward the call of his name to see his old canine grey haired friend Bill, "Are you coming for the mile?"

"I'm going to relax for a bit while longer." He replied as Fox noted those beside Bill did not offer the same kind of invitation as he did. Falco Lombardi, one of Fox's eldest friends only gave him a cold stare, as well did Krystal and Fara as well. Bill and the others needed no other explanation as the four of them started off their mile with a light jog. Fox only leaned against the fence and closed his troubled eyes, hoping that soon they would accept him again as one of their own. Sooner or later it would happen, he only hoped it would be sooner. _Though he didn't know just how soon that would be._

A loud banging ring startled the young vulpine as his eyes flashed opened and turned toward the front gates of the school to see something rather odd. A small group of beings were just…running themselves into the northern front gates to the school. They looked rather odd, as if empty beings of a commanding mental state. Although Fox was on the roof of the building, with his sharp vision he could have sworn some of them had a bit of blood on their clothes. He looked at their eyes, that blank stare they all held as they looked at nothing in particular in front of them. There were three of them in total, and they all kept just bumping into the locked gate like they didn't even realize their paths were blocked off.

The vulpine had a shiver down his spine, and his heartrate increasing as this was pretty freaky. He noticed that a few of the teachers approached the front of the gate. The four teachers were led by the head of the school, a light tanned vixen who fox knew as Mrs. Warren.

"What do you three think you are doing?" Her tone angered of the non-amusing intrusion on school grounds they were enacting in. "This is a public school and you are not to be here unless you have some type of business with administration or a student." She received no type of answer from the three beings as they all just kept bumping into the gate. She had to admit, the vixen was starting to get a little uncomfortable and a bit scared on how they didn't even acknowledge her.

"Let me handle this Mrs. Warren." One of the vulpines from the main office of the school rolled up his sleeves as he approached the three beings. Though before he even reached through the fence he was grabbed by the one in front faster than he had time to react. The being bit the vulpine deep, ripping flesh with his teeth and blood gushing everywhere. The vulpine stepped back as he held his arm and collapsed. The blood gushed out like a collapsed dam as he screamed a bloody scream. Fox took a step back as his heart rate increased and looked back as it looked like nobody else had noticed it. Fox kept looking back as the vulpine had stopped moving and the young man's eyes widened. The vulpine lied dead on the ground after being bitten no more than thirty seconds ago.

"Oh my god."

"What the fuck was that?"

"No he can't be." Mrs. Warren took a step back hands covering her mouth, tears in her eyes as she looked at the body. Her posture changed and she smiled as the young man was getting back up on his own, slowly but surely. She stepped forward as she called out to him.

"Oh my god Mr. Evans thank goodness you're alright!" She stopped directly behind him as he slowly turned around to face her. She stood there paralyzed as he now shared the same bleak expression on his face. The color in his eyes had faded to a foggy grey, blood dripped down from his eye sockets as if they were tears.

"Mr. Evans?" Those would be the last words she would ever say as the vulpine on the ground quickly got up and bit her on the neck as she released a bloody scream and fell onto her backside, the vulpine on top of her as he gnawed on her flesh.

Fox immediately ran for his friends as he yelled out their names. "Bill! Falco!" The confused teens looked back to the vulpine approaching them as they saw the horror in his eyes. They ran to meet him halfway as he looked back toward his previous position near the fenced rooftop edge.

"What's wrong?"

"Teachers got bit. They're attacking and killing each other!" Fox explained what he had just seen to his friends as they gave him all a confused look."

"Is this some kind of joke Fox? Because it isn't funny." Bill started to turn away until the vulpine grabbed his arm tightly, yanking him back.

"Am I acting like this is some kind of fucking joke!?" They all started to take in what he said as his eyes were wide, and breathing heavy as his chest noticeably heaved. Fox started yanking Bill toward the fence as the others followed him. "There!" Fox pointed toward the ground as Bill became startled. Even from up here he could clearly see Mrs. Warren gnawing away on a downed teacher's neck and arm.

"What's going on?" Krystal's heart pounded as she became frightened.

"Some of the teachers got bit by strangers at the gate of the school, and now they're fucking killing each other!" Fox turned to the scared vixen as she took a step back. He then returned his gaze toward the scene as realization had poured into his mind. Two of the four teachers were gone and blood trails were left by their zombie-like bodies. They had wandered off into the school to spread the killing even further.

"We have to get out of here."

"What are you talking about?" Bill questioned as he looked back toward his friend, now fully believing what he had said.

"There were four teachers down there total! Look at the trails of blood!" Fox pointed toward the marks left behind by the deceased teachers walking about. "It's only a matter of time before it spreads into the whole school and when that happens we'll all be fucking dead!" Fox gained the attention of his four friends as he looked into each of their eyes. They were all shocked, bewildered, and afraid. Fara and Krystal had small tears forming in their eyes as the realization sunk into their heads.

"Then let's go!" Falco led the group of five as they ran past other confused students who hadn't caught on. Fox would have warned them but they instead ran toward the spot near the fenced roof. The five kids ran down the stairs heading back into the main building as quickly as they could, holding a conversation along the way.

"What do we do?"

"We have to get out of the school. Soon the killing will spread and nowhere in the school will be safe!"

"We need some way to defend ourselves. We need some kind of weapons!"

"We gotta hurry! They'll soon be far too many of them to avoid or deal with!" They raced off into the main gym as other students noticed them but soon lost attention. It seems as though nobody else had seen the horrible scene the five of them had witnessed.

"Where could we get something as weapons?" Bill asked between muffled breaths, as none of the students had an answer to his question. He soon began to panic, crack under pressure as time was ticking and every minute they waste was another minute they could be using to escape the shadow of death that would soon be coming for them. "Dammit guys think!"

"The sports closet!" Fox had the answer as the other four kids looked for an explanation. "The hard, wooden sparring swords used for the dueling class are kept in there! We could use those lets hurry!" The students ran into the boy's locker room as some of the students yelled and were startled to the sudden intrusion of Krystal and Fara.

"What the hell! Get out of here!" They ignored one students demand as he had just walked into the shower area without any kind of cover of his male genitalia. Luckily for the kids Hedrick had not yet locked the storage locker as Fox pushed basketballs and P.E. Jerseys aside as he got all the way in the back. There was the huge stockpile of the hard woodened swords used for the fencing class as Fox quickly grabbed the five he needed and threw them to his friends. Fox also saw the metal bats used for baseball games in the corner and grabbed a few of those as well.

"What do you kids think you're doing?" They all turned toward Hedrick as he stood there with an angered expression for the bunch. "Ladies I'm going to have to ask you to leave, and as for you three-"

"Coach! Something bad is about to happen inside the school we need to get out of here now!" Fox interrupted his teacher as he only got angrier. Though his anger was slightly deterred as he saw the fear in Fox's eyes. Fox wasn't known as a liar, he was a good honest kid.

"What are you talking about Fox?"

"Coach there was an incident in front of the school were some of the teachers died, and they came back alive trying to bite and kill people!"

"Okay Fox I think you've seen a few to many movies or video games."

"Coach I'm telling you that's what I saw!" Hedrick didn't know what to believe as he looked back toward Fox's face as if this crazy story wasn't made up. Fox was dead serious as Hedrick looked puzzled. Their conversation was cut short as the announcements went off all throughout the school.

"Attention students! There is an emergency situation going on within the school. All students are to follow their teacher's instructions and evacuate the school! Immediately! This is not a drill!"

He kept on speaking as Hedrick looked back to Fox and the others. He pleaded for them to be let go as Fara and Krystal's eyes started spilling tears of fear.

"Everybody get your things and follow me we are evacuating the school!" Hedrick yelled out as the male students started getting dressed and gathering their things. He was distracted as Fox grabbed his arm.

"Coach we can't do this now we have to get out of here! There's no time!"

"That's what I'm trying to do Fox." Hedrick than reached into the locker to pull out the rest of the metal bats and wooden swords. "Everybody grab one and stay close! Stay together! Everybody meet in the main gym in just a minute!" Hedrick grabbed a metal bat as he went out the door to the men's locker room to go and get the female students. Fox started walking that way until Falco grabbed his arm, he turned to see an angered expression.

"Are you fucking crazy!? Screw Hedrick and the rest of the students we gotta get out of here ourselves!"

"A big group can offer a lot of protection!"

"No!" Krystal finally spoke up against the vulpine as she wiped the tears away. "A big group is going to get us all killed! We need to stay small and protect ourselves so we can move quickly throughout the school." Fox pondered the options given to them for a quick moment as he looked toward the door Hedrick just used to exit.

"This isn't the time to be playing fucking hero Fox!" He turned back to his avian friend as the vulpine took back his arm. "We gotta watch out for ourselves and get out of here!"

After a moment of silence he finally replied, "Fine. Now what do we do?"

"We need to get to one of our cars!" Bill gave an answer as they all looked toward him. "We can get in the car and drive to where ever we need to go. We just got to get out of the school quickly."

"Fox's car is the biggest and closest we should try and reach it!" They all seemed to be in agreement until Fara finally broke her silence.

"No!" They turned toward her as she found the strength to speak her mind. "We can't leave everybody else here in the school! What about Slippy and Amanda? Katt? Fay and Miyu? Luna!"

"Look!" Falco yelled to gain back attention. "We can't be hunting through the whole school for them! That's just as bad as staying in a huge group! We gotta take care of ourselves and leave now!"

"How could you say that about Katt!? You want to leave her to die!?" Although Falco's expression hadn't changed, the young canine's had. Bill was so distracted about what had been going on he hadn't thought about how Fay and the others would get out of the school.

"We can't be wasting time like this! Let's go!"

"No Falco." Fox stared down his friend as they had a standoff. He glared into Falco's cold eyes as he circled back heading in the direction of the exit to the locker room. Fox nudged his head toward Bill as a sign to start heading that direction. Krystal and Fara followed the canine as Fox spoke. "We can't leave the others behind to die. If you want to try and get out of here yourself than go we can't force you to help us." Fox left it at that as he bent down to pick up the remaining bats and put them into the large sack along with the wooden swords. Fox swung the heavy bag over his shoulders as he ran to catch up with his friends. Falco let out a verbal, angry grunt as he stared at the ground gripping the handle of the wooden sword tighter. He pondered it for a moment longer before muttering softly yet angrily.

"Fuck everybody." Falco ran to catch up with his friends as he chased them down.

X

"Come on class hurry we need to evacuate to our designated spot in the school!" Mrs. Laister the snow white vixen rushed her students out of their seats to follow her.

"What do you think's going on?" Fay sounded concerned as she grabbed her things and turned toward her feline friend who also shared the same puzzled look.

"I don't know but I can't be good." Miyu stated the obvious as they gathered around their pink haired feline friend, Katt Monroe. The three girls were some of the first students to exit the classroom as Mrs. Laister was shouting orders and soon the other classrooms were disbursing as well. A soul shattering cry was heard as the three girls turned their attention toward the opposite end of the hallway where it had come from. Fay's ocean colored eyes widened as she saw the horror that had occurred. A student creating a large puddle of blood lay on the ground as two teachers were on their hands and knees ripping flesh from body. He continued to cry loudly as the now zombified Mrs. Warren looked up to the large gathering of students.

A loud cry was given as a cue to run like hell. And just like that it all began. Students ran for their lives in the opposite direction of the gruesome scene in a huge frenzy of fear and terror. Students began piling out in large numbers all in different directions of the school. Pushing, shoving, and locker banging occurred everywhere as everyone prioritized themselves to get out first. Some students were fighting each other for the space of small doorways as others were trampled to their deaths. Fay was shoved into Katt's arms as she gave her the same horrified yet steady look.

"We need to get out of here now!" Katt took Fay's hand in her own as she ran toward the school parking lot followed closely by Miyu. It was a frenzy like none she had seen before, as if rioters were standing up against local authorities or huge mosh pits of pushing and shoving common among concerts. She ran and ducked between flying fists and the trampling of bodies as the three girls ran as fast as they could through the crowd. They were soon halted as the group of students directly in front of them were ambushed out of nowhere by the bodies of those already infected with whatever was causing this deadly disaster. They were grabbed from the teacher's lounge and one grabbed from the downstairs that led toward the gym. This disease was spreading fast and was only going to increase in time. Katt quickly turned around as one of the zombies looked up to her, bleeding from her eyes and a huge gnaw mark left on right side of her neck.

"Run!" She yanked Fay by the arm as she ran into the opposite direction to take a different route. Katt took a sharp turn to her left to go down the long hallway that would end up leading her back to the parking lot as well. Miyu was cut off from the two girls as one of the infected vulpines stood her down. She let out a bloody scream and reacted quickly as she slammed her heavy textbook into his face as he collapsed to the ground quickly.

"What are you fucking doing!? Just go!" Katt called to the linx with blood on her shirt as they continued running toward the parking lot. Every second mattered. She froze in fear for a moment longer before shaking it off as best as she could, and continued after Katt and Fay.

X

"Come on we have to get out of here!" Slippy left his books and bag as he ran toward his girlfriend, the pink frog Amanda and took her hand in his. Luna soon ran to their side as they all looked puzzled at each other. They were the only students still left in their history classroom as they looked toward Slippy for a call to action. He looked into the she-wolf's eyes as small tears began to form, same with Amanda's.

"Where are we going to go? What should we do?" She let out trying to fight just completely collapsing in terror as she squeezed his hand for comfort. The toad was trying to come up with a quick response as this was something he wasn't prepared for, not only the zombies but the idea of being a leader instead of a follower in the most crucial moment of his life. The moment where other lives depended on his next actions. Their lives were in his hands of reasoning.

"We should head to the wood shop classroom." Slippy finally let out. "There are power drills and nail guns we can use for weapons, and the welding classroom is there as well. We can use blow torches to barricade ourselves in there or perhaps use them to fight off the infected."

"Then let's go now!" That was all Luna needed to here as they headed out of the classroom. The first thing they saw was their previous history teacher, the German shepherd Mr. Roccal being torn apart by students who had already turned. One of them looked up toward Luna and lunged for her as she stepped to the side.

"Run!" is all she called out as she led the two frogs toward the south side of the school, away from the parking lot toward west side entrance of the school.

X

Fox and his friends left the large group of students from the P.E. class and broke off going down one of the emptier parts of the school. The infection began at the north end of the school but the group of five had started heading toward the west end of the school near the student parking lot. That part of the school is always empty after the school day had started. They froze in fear as one of the infected stumbled into their path from the opposite hallway they were about to head down. The former science teacher, the tortoise Mr. Ralston stumbled slowly out from the hallway as he looked in the direction of the students. All of them began to back down except Fox as he only gripped his metal bat tighter and narrowed his vision. The teacher began to walk toward the students as Fox stood his ground. His heart raced, and the sweat started beaming down the side of his head as his breathing picked up. They stared each other down, or as best as a zombie could offer as Mr. Ralston's black blood dripped the floor behind his wake of death he would bring if not dealt with now.

"Fox." Krystal whispered to him also scared at the threatening approach.

"Bash their skulls open."

"What?" Bill asked in a questionable tone.

"I've played enough fucking video games to figure it out!" Fox let out the remark as he ran for the teacher. He gave a mighty swing with the bat directly at the teacher's head as if a larger, uglier baseball as a gush of blood squirted everywhere. The teacher quickly collapsed due to the weight of his shell while the blood dripped from Fox's bat. He breathed heavy at the sight as he couldn't believe what he had just done. He had just killed another being, the first in line in what was sure to be a long killing spree of victims to this zombie like disease. Fox nudged the teacher with his bat making sure to keep any flesh at a distance as Mr. Ralston lay there motionless. It appeared like Fox was right.

"Come on let's go!" He called out to the group as they began to follow him. But only a moment later they stopped in reasoning.

"Wait guys!" Bill called out to the group "I just thought of something."

"What is it?"

"The group is split up! It was 4th period before lunch. Fay, Miyu, and Katt are in English class!"

Krystal's eyes began to widen as the realization sank in as well. "And Slippy, Amanda, and Luna are in History! That means they're on the southern end of the school!"

"But Fay, Miyu, and Katt are on the eastern side of the school! We have to go get them first!"

"Are you fucking dumb!?" Krystal and Bill stared each other down arguing over which group was the bigger priority. "We would have to fight our way through the whole school to the opposite side! If it isn't flooded with students than the zombies will be around for sure!"

"Fay, Miyu, and Katt are not going to be able to handle themselves! They're much more likely to get killed than Slippy and Amanda! They're fucking smart they can make up weapons or something!"

"With what!? We we're already on the side of the building with anything that could be used as a weapon! And it'll be quicker to get them first than double back to where Fay and the others are!" The arguing was going back and forth as Fox stood there as he soaked it all in. This was quite the deadly predicament. Which group was more likely to die to the outbreak rapidly spreading throughout the school? He didn't know what to think, or what to believe.

"Think about it Krystal!" Bill began to get desperate as small tears formed in his eyes. "Slippy has probably realized by now they can go to the wood work classrooms on that side of the building to scavenge some kind of weapon! They can handle themselves! Fay is a scared girl and I'm not going to just leave her behind to die!"

"That's what Slippy is as well! A scared little girl! You think he's going to want to kill the zombies even if he figured that out? He's a pacifist! He's not thinking about killing zombies he's thinking about getting the hell out of here!"

"Just listen to me dammit Krystal!"

"We can't let your feelings get the rest of us killed! We must go seek Slippy, Amanda, and Luna first!"

"Fuck you Krystal!" Bill finally snapped as he pointed at the blue vixen. "Go then but I'm going to go after Fay!"

"No!" Fox finally butt in as the two of them looked to the vulpine. "You'll only get yourself killed we can't split up! We have to stay together! Safety in numbers if we split up now we'll all die!" Both the two arguers began to calm down as they soaked in the vulpine's words of wisdom. As painful as it was to admit it, they knew he was right, and that meant ultimately a choice had to be made.

"Fox you know I'm right!" Krystal pleaded with the vulpine.

"Fox please." He looked back toward Bill as the tears were spilling, the canine's voice became weak as he looked like he was about to crumble. The vulpine looked at them both with a puzzled face, he didn't know who was truly better off without the group's help. He had to decide quickly, every minute counted and lives were on the line.

 _This next decision was going to make all the difference on who would live, and who would die on Day 1 of this new world. These High School Days of the Dead._

X

 **Author's Notes**

 _ **Been a long time, I've had this idea stuck in my head for the longest time (at least a year plus) and wanted to act on it but never had. Until now.**_

 _ **I needed something like this to jump start me back into writing fanfiction, as my current/previous works just wasn't working. Will I continue and finish my previous works? Maybe, maybe not.**_

 _ **HOW THIS STORY IS GOING TO WORK – Just to be plain and blunt about it, YOU, the audience gets to decide on how the story will play out! At the end of every chapter a huge decision is going to be left, one that the audience has direct control over what is to be done!**_

 _ **How can you impact the decision at the end of every chapter? By either reviewing on the CURRENT chapter AND/OR by personally PMing me with what you think should happen (I would prefer the review however ;)). In your response, I would like to hear to the best of your ability as to WHY that decision should be made. Use logical reasoning and perhaps give an example of a scenario. Not "I LIKE KATT BETTER SO SAVE HER!"**_

 _ **ABOUT THE DECISIONS – There is no RIGHT or WRONG decision. Just because one is made over the other, doesn't necessarily mean that it was the right one. Every decision will have a CONSEQUENCE, it may be that somebody dies, or something is lost. Someone could possibly die in EITHER decision to be made! The only factor to remain is how SEVERE that decision is. That means that this story is HEAVILY DEPENDENT on the thoughts and critiques of the reviewers! That's YOU! Your voice is going to impact the story forward one way or another!**_

 _ **WHEN CAN YOU EXPECT UPDATES? – I plan to update the story once every 2-4 weeks. 2 weeks at a minimum, and 4 weeks as the absolute maximum. Chapters may come out a day or two sooner/later than this deadline, as I stated that I'm trying to use this project to slowly ease me back into Fanfiction writing.**_

 _ **Beta Reader? – Perhaps**_

 _ **Co-Author? – Perhaps, but probably not**_

 _ **OC's (other than my own)? – Most likely not**_

 _ **Hope to here from all my friends soon! It's a good feeling to start again**_

 _ **Regards – Zythxx, Z**_


	2. New World, New Reality, New Life

Every second mattered. Every minute wasted could be the factor that decided who lived and who died. Perhaps they would reach them in time, perhaps not. After a short eerie silence Fox had thrown his head into a confused and also conflicted shake as everyone stared at him intensely. He kept deciding one decision and then changing it over and over again. Why he was put into a position of leadership and authority he didn't know, or at least no one else was being looked up to make decisions that would decide their fates. This decision was going to make or break them, continue or cease their young lives that have a chance at ending right here and now. As they prepared to walk through the valley of the shadow of death, Fox clenched his eyes as he first spoke.

"We can't leave the girls on their own while they were thrown into the most populated part of the school, and with nothing to defend themselves" As Bill's expression lightened up, Krystal only hardened. Fox continued on opening his eyes. "We have to put our faith and trust into Slippy's ingenuity and resourcefulness to keep them alive." Fox stepped up to the blue vixen as she only gave a hard glare.

"Slippy is going to have to hold out."

"You better be right about this Fox." She gave back in an angered tone, "We need Slippy's advanced intellect to survive this."

"I know." Fox only nodded as they swallowed hard, "Believe in him." He looked to all his friends who put their faith in him, just as they would have to put their faith in Slippy to hold out until they could double back and reach the amphibian. He could see the very real fear in all their eyes, he himself was scared shitless. But he had to be strong, strong for now only himself but his friends. Their lives were in his hands of reasoning and judgment.

Fox gave the command. "Bill stay close to me as you and I will clear the front. Krystal and Fara keep the sides free of threats. Falco watch our six."

"Okay."

"Right."

"Will do." The vulpine took head of the group as he gripped his metal bad tightly, looking down as it was still dripping with the blood of just one of many of these hellish beings in the building.

Fox steeled his nerves as he began to run. "Let's go!"

X

Katt, Fay, and Miyu kept on running and running, no matter which direction they ran they were cut off from the dead everywhere, they were just lucky there were multiple floors of classrooms on this side of the building as they ran to the second floor. Although it was filled with fleeing students there were no signs of the infected. The three girls ran into the large room that was the art classroom and immediately shut the door behind them locking it. As the feline tried to catch her breath she knew this door wouldn't hold them for long. As appointed leader of survival she had to think of a way to get out of the building but everywhere they went to try and escape they were cut off from the dead. She looked to the two other girls as they held one another, trying to hold back tears as they were scarred out of their minds. They looked to her, pleading and begging for a way out.

It was at this moment Katt noticed they were not the only people in the classroom. Over a dozen beings occupied the room as some gave her terrified looks while others gathered in the corner balling their eyes out. A few others tried to silence those crying and soothe them from attracting attention from the dead.

"Y-you got in?" The brown furred vulpine who was shorter than her got out stuttering.

"The door wasn't locked you fucking moron." Katt gave back harshly as she looked to the room. This was a class devised of lower classman, those younger and probably more fearful. The same vulpine quickly ran to the second entrance of the class on the opposite side to make sure it was lock, it wasn't as he secured the bolt.

Katt stepped to the group of students as she spoke. "Why are you all hold up in this room?"

"We can't escape." The same vulpine gave her an answer with terror filled eyes, "The floor below is filled with those things."

"We're all going to die…" A vixen crying in the corner let out quietly yet audible enough for everyone to hear. With that statement all of the student's eyes' went even wider. Some tried to be optimistic, try to keep hope yet their hope was shattered so easily with five simple words. "Why…Why is this happening to us!?"

"I don't want to die!"

"Makers please help us!" One by one the students began to crumble and break down in tears as Katt looked all around. Her heart rate sped up as she began to panic at just how dire the situation was. It would be easy to give up hope, their fates seem sealed as the situation grew more hopeless. The feline looked to her two friends behind her as they couldn't hold back the tears anymore. Death was coming for them, it was a fact. Unless they do something here and now it will claim them.

Katt stepped up as she tried to rally them together. "Those things are coming for us. There's too many of us to run through the halls some will get caught and die. We have to put up a fight and hold our ground or it's all over for us."

"How do you expect us to do that?"

"Let's take a look around, there's got to be something in here we can use!" As they all looked to her did she know she was their beacon of hope, of faith if they wanted to continue on living and not an empty shell of a soul. Some got up on their feet but it wasn't many. "Move the cabinets block the doors!" As Katt gave the order did the students on their feet quickly move. They moved the large crude white cabinets in front of the two doorways to try and halt the dead's advance in the room. As the same white vulpine was about to completely cover the door did a vixen with red fur press her face against the glass screen. Her eyes were wide as she only shook her head.

"No. No! Let me in! Let me in!" She fiddled with the lock and banged on the glass as she begged to be let into the room, as the dead were slowly but surely closing in on her from all angles. At first the boy was stunned in fear, but he soon came to his senses. He would never forgive himself, but he wanted to live. His life was more valuable than her's at this moment.

"I'm sorry. Please forgive me. I'm sorry!"

"Please Jack! I love you! Please let me in!" She pleaded but to no avail. She was suddenly yanked from the window as that was the final time he would see her for who she was. The dead quickly swarmed her entirely as she screamed at the top of her lungs, the pain and agony of being torn apart bit by bit would forever scar the young man's life. He clenched his eyes as he began to cry, and finished pushing the cabinet in front of the door minus a small crack. Katt pushed him to the side so she could see through the small opening as her mind was completely blown. She saw the few beings devouring the girl, but behind them was an army of dead walking toward their position. Dozens and dozens of zombies came for a bite as that girl's screaming rang the dinner bell.

Katt back away in fear as her body trembled and her leg's went numb. She tried to think of what they could do, but those doors wouldn't hold forever and once they got in it's all over for them. Katt quickly ran to the other door as a few zombies were now there but nothing in comparison to the numbers on the opposite side. She didn't know what to do. Should they try and make a break for it? Or was staying in one spot to fight the better way to go? Surely they couldn't run forever, and there was bound to be more of them as they tried to escape. But it would only be a matter of time before they would be overwhelmed in the classroom and torn apart alive.

There was a large number of students in the room, but far more undead ones barely separated by a frail wooden doorway and a makeshift gate of cabinets. If Katt wanted to fight she would need the aid of the other students, but if she wanted to die she would have to leave them to die. She had a hard time walking the path of right and wrong, but time was running out.

"Search the room for anything that could be used as a weapon!" She gave the order and this time everybody got up to quickly search for tools to use. Now seeing and hearing exactly what would happen to them if they just sat there and did nothing, they were all determined to stay alive knowing what other fate awaited them. There wasn't much to go around. One student found the storage of small knives used to cut clay chunks apart. They were small and somewhat dull, but better than nothing. Other students broke apart the few brooms in the room to get the sharp point out from the wooden broom heads to use as some sort of spear. Fay found an umbrella with quite the sharp pointed end, while Miyu stuck with her heavy textbook that proved to be effective. Hidden in between folders of the teacher's desk Katt found a long, sharp switch blade that she herself would use. Some students got creative and started breaking off the wooden doors of the cabinets and try and break them into pointed ends of broken wood, or break some of the finalized larger pieces of glass art to create glass knives. They had to use anything and everything.

By this time the dead were bashing against the door and the cabinets began to move with their force, catching everyone's attention as they backed away from the door.

"You five stand in a small area a few feet from the door! We have to keep the area we fight in small to avoid too many coming in at once!" Katt yelled as they listened to her order just standing there, awaiting the dead to come at them as many trembled in fear yet stood there bravely clutching whatever they could scavenge as weapons. Katt had them stand side by side in lines behind one another. The first five stood in front of six that stood in front of another five. Only two other students stood with the group of girls as they guarded the other door way. The male Siamese feline that stood near Katt began to piss himself as he was shaking uncontrollably. Another loud thud came from the opposite doorway as the barricade began to give, a few of the hands and arms of the dead reaching for those inside.

It was enough for him to abandon the rest and save himself. "Fuck this I'm out of here!" He quickly gave everything he had in one hard shove to knock over the makeshift barrier as he unlocked the door and bolted out. Katt stood more toward the center of the room as she couldn't stop him. Panic began to infiltrate the student's courage with the sudden departure of the male feline. Katt watched in horror as the doorway was broken free and the dead began to pour in, quickly grabbing their first victim as they tore into the student. The barrier and strategy didn't work as more began to pour in vast numbers that the students couldn't handle. The first line of defense was completely wiped out only taking a few zombies with them as the other students backed away, some running to save themselves.

Katt grabbed Fay as she realized how futile it was, "We have to get out of here!" She headed out the door as the two girls followed her to see the male Siamese on the ground, a zombie eating into him as it looked up to Katt. With no mercy she stabbed the knife straight into the skull of the flesh devourer and quickly pulled it out, blood spewing from the wound as the zombie fell over. They ran fast as Katt cut down a few more blocking their way, where they were going she didn't know, she could only hope and pray it was somewhere safe. As she started to descend down the stairs she could faintly here the cries of the same young vulpine who sacrificed his girlfriend to save himself.

"Don't leave us! Please!"

X

Luna led the two frogs into the wood shop room that was connected to the welding shop. It was empty of both zombies and living beings as they looked around. It seemed as though it was safe as they were totally alone. Screams of terror quickly caught their attention however as they walked toward the center of the room and peered outside. The large garage type door was wide open as they could see a few zombies devouring a being on the ground who was suddenly silenced.

"Luna get the door!" Slippy yelled out as he quickly ran to the bench that was covered with all sorts of tools that they could use to defend themselves.

"Right!" The she-wolf listened as she quickly ran for the door. As she grabbed the chains to start pulling the door down did a zombie approach her. Luna gave the dead bastard a hard kick in the gut as it easily stumbled and fell over on the ground. Luna yanked on the chain bringing the large door to the ground just as a zombie reached for her, its hand halfway over the door as it fiddled around for her. Luna stomped on the hand over and over again until she began to separate bone from being and the monster pulled away, leaving its two fingers as just a taste for Luna.

Slippy and Amanda quickly closed the door they came in shut as a few zombies moved toward them. They put their combine body weight against the door as the dead tried to push them back. Luna ran toward a large metal block as she dragged it to them, placing it up against the door as the two frogs still pushed against the bodies racking up against the door. After it was placed Luna grabbed a nearby crowbar and stuck it in between the latch slot as the three backed away. It would hold for a while but for how long they didn't know. The three looked toward one another as they tried to recuperate their breath.

"Nice work." Slippy gave to the two girls as he turned toward the workshop table. The two girls joined them as they were in luck, it was filled with all sorts of tools they could use at their disposal. Slippy gazed around as he saw nail guns and hand held power saws, wood saws and crowbars. He reached for a few things as he tried to think.

"Look around and see if you can find anything else." He called out to the two girls as they did as they were told and took a look in the huge room. Luna searched the welding shop as Amanda went into the wood works class. It was filled with all sorts of big machinery but there's no way they could use those. That's when it hit the pink frog, if she could find a body large enough to support the weight, and a power source and a way to rotate it, the 18 inch saw blade would be a great weapon to fight off the dead. The only question was how was she going to get the blade out and how would she construct it together?

Luna spotted the axe sealed behind glass that was meant for in case of fires, but she figured this was a hell of a bigger emergency than that. She reached for a nearby screwdriver as she broke the glass and grabbed the giant axe as her weapon. Luna grabbed the rest of what they could actually use, a few crowbars as she and Amanda met back up with Slippy at the giant welding table.

"Amanda I need you to drain the gas in the welding tanks and fill these glass bottles up with them." Slippy said to his girlfriend without even looking at her. There was over a dozen old fashioned glass bottles one of the students must have brought in to share a sugary beverage with their friends, they wouldn't be needing them anymore.

"What are we going to be doing with them?" Luna asked as she set what she found on the table.

"Molotov Cocktails. They're an ancient grenade type weapon that you manually light and throw. They're simple to make but are deadly." Slippy was diligent at work cutting boards and nail gun gas tank packs as Amanda excused herself. "Luna I need you to gather all the nails you can find, both in strips and singles."

"Okay." Luna ran toward the storage drawer finding large stockpiles of equipment. The three worked hard and fast, as Amanda drained the tank of what gas it had left did she have over a dozen filled glass bottles of gas. Luna kept coming back again and again with her arms filled with striped nails for the nail guns. Amanda began cutting fabric away from a grease free rag as she would stuff one end with the gas and leave the other exposed for when to light. Luna ran toward the wall and grabbed three utility belts that had many pockets and slots for horizontal shaped items to store on your waist. The two girls gave each belt six Molotov Cocktails as Slippy went on to explain next.

"For now fill up these empty cans with the spare nails or anything else you can find that's sharp."

"What are you going to do with those?"

"Shrapnel bombs." Slippy answered, almost finished with his new toy. "To complicated to explain right now just do it quickly." Luna did as she was told as Amanda looked around to what else she could find. She found a few students' backpacks that were abandoned on the floor as she ran to them and picked a few up. Amanda dumped their notebooks and papers on the floor as she went back to the table. As Luna was able to fill up six cans of spare nails was Slippy finally finished with what he was doing, he had attached a wooden stock to a nail gun to make it easier to steady and balance. He also attached the tanks and filled them with strips of nails. As he began to work on one for Amanda did the pink frog fill the bags up with extra crowbars and an extra bottle of gas to use for later if need be.

"I'll finish the bombs, Luna finish stocking up the belts then take one last look around." The wolf did as she was told, putting extra strips of nails in the front pockets of the utility belts. As she finished she put a pack and a belt together in pairs until all three were lined up. Each bag had two extra crowbars, each belt had strips of nails and Molotov bombs. Amanda finished the nail bombs as she carefully put them into the side slots of the belts. Luna took one last look around the room as she found a few rolls of duck tape and a few extra gas tanks for the nail guns and two bottles of water only. She put the supplies in the bag as she zipped them up. Just as Slippy finished the gun did he hand one to Amanda.

"I was able to attach sights for extra accuracy." Slippy finally looked toward Luna as realization poured into her face. "Luna we need you to be the frontline against the dead. We aren't as athletic as you and need to stay back. We will pick them off just focus on the ones directly in front of you." As Luna kept eye contact did she reach for the large axe she took from the wall. She didn't like it, she didn't like being a frontline distraction but what other choice did they have?

"Okay." She gave back as the trio put on their belts and their bags, the two frogs picking up the nail guns and the wolf her axe. They took one final look around the room, grabbing small things to put into their pockets for later. Slippy found a ring of keys that the teacher had left behind and grabbed them as they could be useful later. The three met back at the table as the girls held a questioned look.

"What should we do? Should we just stay in here or try and go out?" Amanda asked as Slippy pondered over their choices. Staying in here had proved to be somewhat safe and effective shelter from the dead. But they would eventually have to leave, and the longer they waited the more dead would pile up against them. Not only that their chances of finding anybody else alive in the school would get slimmer and slimmer in time.

"Should we wait until police or the army arrives?" Luna asked out loud.

"No." Slippy gave plainly. "This thing is a major crisis, the military or police isn't going to waste resources to save us. We are on our own." Those words rang loudly in the girls' mind. It's one thing to fight off until help arrived, but to be on their own forever seemed hopeless.

"We should go find everyone else." Luna suggested. "Some of them may still be alive and they could help us."

"Or they already left and got out themselves." Amanda intervened as she didn't know what to think of the situation. "We can't do that without knowing anything its too risky. They could all be dead for all we know."

"We need to leave." Slippy finally gave an answer as the two girls looked to him. "Things are only going to get worse over time, the longer we wait the worse the situation becomes. We have to try and leave while their numbers aren't completely dominating. We need to go and try to find Fox and the others."

"Why would we do that?"

"Because I know Fox wouldn't just abandon the others." Slippy gave a harsh look into Amanda's eyes, trying to be brave and sturdy. "He was in P.E. with a lot of them when this started, he probably grabbed the metal bats and is fighting their way through the school to find us or the others."

"If that's what you think is best…Then fine."

"We do this nice and easy." The three were suddenly interrupted as the main door into the welding room had been breached, and the dead began walking in. Luna stepped in front of the two frogs as they raised their makeshift guns and put their backs against the garage wall. They were slow, but there was already a dozen more heading their way and more coming in. As Luna reached for her lighter and a cocktail did Slippy intervene.

"Don't Luna!" He shouted at her as she stopped. "We don't know anything about them for all we know the noise is going to attract more. Destroy the brain cut off their heads and aim for that ultimately." Luna began to breath heavy as she quivered in fear. They got closer and closer as the two frogs still hadn't fired on them. They began to spread through the large room as Luna was outnumbered.

With no verbal cue Slippy and Amanda began to open fire on the dead, shooting two or three nails in their brains until they fell limp. They did as they said and shot the ones approaching from the sides and left two up for Luna to deal with. By building up her courage and steeling her nerves, Luna let out a loud battle cry as she sliced the first zombie's head clean off, and quickly raised her axe to chop the other zombie's down the top in the center, blood gushing and getting on the she-wolf's clothes and fur. Although they had brought down six many more were still pouring in.

"Reloading!" Slippy let out as he quickly ejected his empty nail strip and exchanged it with a fresh one. Amanda quickly followed having to do the same. They kept gunning down the flanks while Luna kept acting as executioner chopping off heads left and right. Tears strained from her eyes, she couldn't believe the horror she was committing. She didn't know if she was ever going to forget or forgive herself. She was still alive but the old Luna might as well have been dead, they would all have to adapt and change to stay alive.

X

Fox and friends finally reached the Eastern side of the school as it was as they feared. Zombies were everywhere and blood stained the walls and floors. The floors were littered with bodies of all kinds of beings. Fox noticed his surroundings as the zombies began to close in on them and the group each gave a bit of ground on all sides and fronts.

"Listen to me." Fox talked as he prepared himself mentally and physically. "When I give the word, we are going to run through. We can't stay in one spot to long we'll get pinned down. Cut the ones that matter and run." They all listened to his leadership and waited. As one got close to Fox did he swiftly smack it across the head, blood gushing toward the wall and the body joining the many on the floor.

"Run!" The group ran through the hall, cutting down all the ones that were close enough to swing at. It was a frenzy of blood and flying flesh as all the teens kept running, blood splashing all over them as they continued on. Many began to breath heavy and cry, they would never have thought this could occur in their lives. Fox barely dodged one zombified being lunging for him as he quickly side stepped and smashed its skull in. Fox would have kept running but noticed the being he hit was an officer. Fox quickly had an idea as he went into the office leaving the rest all dazed.

"Fox!"

"Just hold on one moment!" They did as he said and fought back the closest zombies coming for them. Fox grabbed the weapon still attached to the officer as he took off his belt and put it on himself. He quickly went through the desk and found a spare pistol and a few extra clips. The vulpine put it into the spare holster as he ran past the group, ducking their swinging and batted back a zombified vixen himself.

"Let's go!" They continued the pace as they went on running, desperately searching for their female friends.

X

Katt dragged the other two girls with her as she ran into the boy's bathroom, instantly closing the door. She ran the three of them into the biggest stall and locked the door. They had been running, barely ducking bloody hands and teeth filled with hair and flesh to get to where they are now. They couldn't keep running, they needed a plan but nothing was open. Miyu and Fay were completely out of breath as they broke down and the two began to cry and embrace one another. But before they could make a sound Katt silenced the both of them as she looked into their eyes.

"Shut your fucking mouths and keep it together!" She scolded them quietly. They both just nodded as she removed her hands. The halls were just full of those things now, running was soon going to be an empty attempt at life. They were still on the second floor of the classrooms as they couldn't go down below with that many swarming them. Perhaps it was time to count their minutes and give their final prayers.

"We should do it." Miyu spoke with tears in her eyes as she looked up to the feline. "We should kill ourselves and get it over with. It's better than being torn apart by those things!"

"We can't do that Miyu! We have to keep running and avoiding them. Someone else in the school is surely still alive! A teacher or a group of students, somebody!"

"Look around you Katt." This time Fay spoke she was on the suicidal band wagon. "Most of the school has been torn apart and are dead. The few people who are still alive are looking out for themselves. No one is coming to look for us."

"Falco is I know it."

"He may be dead too. Same with Bill and Fox…"

"Don't say such things!" Katt scolded them as tears escaped her eyes. "Maker's sake we can't just give in to our horror! We now have to fight to live! Don't give up and die on me!"

"You're right." Miyu agreed. "We do have to fight to live. But we're on borrowed time. I'd rather go quick then suffer at their hands."

"Stay with me dammit!" Unfortunately the girls' chatter had attracted a nearby group of dead, and they began to bang on the latched door to the entrance of the bathroom. Katt immediately ran to block the door with her bodyweight but alone she couldn't hold them for long. Miyu reached for Fay's knife as she held it to her throat, saying her final goodbyes and prayers.

"No!" Katt yelled as the lynx looked to her. "Don't die on me! Fight your fear and help me!" Katt was shoved away for a brief moment but kept her ground, but her strength was fading as theirs grew. Miyu debated for several moments, she wanted to give in, but if she was going to die she wanted to see the vulpine she loved one last time. She swallowed her fear and ran to the door, Fay following her as the three pushed back, holding out as long as they could from letting the dead inside.

X

The group had to halt for the time being as they were completely surrounded. This group blocking them from the stairs. Fox reached for a second bat as he held one in each hand, his training from Youth Slayers Court allowing him to handle the weight while still staying nimble and agile. They didn't break formation, allowing the zombies to line up one by one as they easily took him down. Fox took out many on his own as he was drenched in blood all over his clothes and body hair, both metal bats bleached red with blood.

"Let's go." They headed up the stairs at the very end they could see a large group of dead banging down a door to a bathroom.

"There's other survivors! It might be Fay!" Bill ran ahead as he broke formation, swinging at zombies in the halls to get them out of the way.

"Bill wait! Dammit." Fox let out a loud grunt as he ran to catch up with his friend. The others followed in pursuit, bashing in skulls and spilling more blood as they finally reached the group. Bill and Fox let the undead come to them, pulling their numbers away from the door one by one as Fara, Krystal, and Falco watched the backside from more coming.

On the inside however the three girls finally gave way as they quickly backed off with their backs against the wall. They prepared to defend themselves as a few got in and the smell of death was coming for them. Katt quickly the large trash can and chucked it at a group of them knocking two over. Fay stabbed one right in the skull as blood shot onto her face mixing in with her tears and grunts of despair. Miyu smacked one against the noggin hard with her heavy textbook that was for their health class, she had learned that if the brain takes too much trauma and bleeds it could just give out, and that's what she was hoping to do. Katt ran past the downed zombies as the two on their flanks died, and stabbed the first one right in the skull. As she was doing this however the second one grabbed her by the throat, trying to pull her down into biting distance.

Katt let out the loudest grunt of anger and fear as she defied against the idea of her body being a lunch for this hungry teen zombie. She kept her steady footing and posture using all her muscles to yank the knife out and stab it into the other teen. As the dead's arms flailed around violently did it take a moment for them to cease movement all together. As she removed the knife a gush of blood shot onto her face as she pulled away.

On the outside the back defense cleared all known threats from their end, and Fox and Bill took care of the last few zombies in the front. Bill bashed the final despicable being that was once a simple teen like himself in the knees forcing it into a downed position. He then let out all his anger and rage onto the beings skull, it practically exploding in a gush of blood. As they all took a look around did they breathe heavy and stay on alert. Finally all the known zombies had been cleared. Fox walked away as he looked to his other friends, everybody was covered in blood and had tears in their eyes. They weren't proud of what they did and could tell they were learning how to cope with this new pain and torment of a lifestyle. He wish he had the answers they sought, on how to escape this hellish nightmare. But sooner or later they would have to come to terms with this new life, this new world they were all apart of with no way out in sight.

Bill looked up to his love as the two met eye contact and exchanged small smiles. Fay had tears escaping her eyes, but instead of tears of sorrow and fear, they were tears of relief and even joy.

"Bill…"

"Fay…"

"Bill!" The poodle ran for her boyfriend and lover as he opened his arms awaiting her embrace. However sadly it was not as it should have been. This new world slowed down for just a second, one tiny moment since it had started. But that was all they needed to see to shake off this harsh shock of their new reality, that drove the realization of the rest of their lives would be. A few dead beings from the boys' bathroom of the opposite side sprung out of nowhere, all grabbing the canine's body as they dragged him to the ground. Everyone else stood there in shock and fear for a mere moment, until Bill's cries of pain and suffering brought them all back to this new world that they lived in.

"Bill! No!" Fay ran to her beloved being torn apart as Katt and Miyu held her back. She struggled desperately to break free as she cried out in torment to watch such a thing, to watch your love one be ripped from your arms. Fox and Falco ran past the girls as they bashed the skulls in of those ripping Bill apart and they all slumped to the ground by his side. After they had all died the two girls let Fay go as she ran to Bill's side. She let out her uncontrollable cries as she held his hand and overlooked what had happened.

In those few seconds Bill had several chunks of hair and flesh missing from his downed body. He struggled for breath as they ripped nearly a third of the flesh from his neck off. Fay could actually see his collarbone on his right side.

"No no no Bill…" Fay cried as he was still struggling. She looked back toward the vulpine breaking him out of his fearful shock. "Don't just stand there do something!" Fox rushed to Bill's side as he kneeled down to inspect the damage, but his friend had sustained a lot of damage. Fox didn't know what to do, why was the world like this now? Why was his friend torn apart before his eyes? Why did he do nothing to try and stop it and intervene? Fox breathed heavy as he began to cry.

"Fox." He looked over toward the canine who could hardly even speak. "I-I'm not going to make it."

"No Bill." He looked over toward the poodle that was the love of his life. They say until death do us part, and Bill was dying. He was on the last of his borrowed time, and it would soon be his time to depart. "You can't go. You can't die and leave me all alone!"

"I'm sorry." His voice was weakening, barely above a whisper. "I fought like hell to get to you."

"Please." She pleaded with the canine, but it wasn't of his own accord. The canine looked over to his vulpine friend probably for the last time. He reached out for him as he spoke, Fox taking his hand that was missing flesh into his own.

"I don't want to be one of them, please…Fox please kill me."

"No!" Fay argued but was taken back from Katt and Miyu. She struggled to break free but just couldn't. Bill slowly and with a great shake in his movements take off the promise ring Fay had given to him as it made it that much worse. The two girls let her go as she kneeled down and held out her hands.

"I love you. Always remember that." That was it, Fay broke down as Miyu dragged her away from his body. Once he died it wouldn't be long before he turned.

"I love you…" She called out to him as he gave a small smile. His breathing became more labor intensive as he looked back to the vulpine who had tears streaming down.

"I'm sorry Bill."

"It's not your fault…Fox I…I'm losing my vision…Please put me out of my misery." Fox didn't know if he had the guts to do it, unlike others he knew his weren't on the outside of his body, including Bill. He stood up as he handed out bat to Falco and looked back to everyone's faces. There wasn't a dry eye in the whole bunch of them. They were all bawling and letting their tears run down freely. They could never have imagined losing a friend, even in this cruel new world, you never know how little time you have left until it's too late. Fox only stood up as he tightly grasped the bat, so hard that his hands were getting moist with his own blood.

Bill gave Fox an approving nod as he shifted his gaze onto his beloved. He wanted her to be the last thing he saw before he died. Bill put on a small smile, it sapping away the last of his energy and soul as his vision began to darken, the shadow of death had come to claim Bill on Day 1. Fox let out a loud scream filled with rage, hatred, sadness, and regret as he swung his bat down. Blood splashed around them as Bill's lifeless body slumped to the ground. No one could speak for several moments, they just all looked to the canine's body as it would never move again from his own free will. They never would have guessed this would be the last day they would ever see their friend Bill Grey, alive and well again. Fox took off his white shirt stained in blood as he put it over the canine's broken face.

Fay quickly got up and grabbed the bat from his hand as she swung it hard into his stomach, knocking the air out of the vulpine and having him fall to the ground.

"Why did you do nothing!? Why did you let Bill Die!?" Fay was restrained by Katt and Miyu as Fox looked up to her face filled with anger for the vulpine. He didn't know how to think or how to react. He just continued to cry. As Fay received no answer she only turned away as she began to cry loudly into Miyu's chest as the two held each other tight. They all continued to cry for the departure of their beloved friend Bill Grey, the first of many to die in time in the group of friends.

In the real world life is cruel. Life plays favorite and it is not an equal life we all share. However although you cannot choose the reality life has thrown you into, you can choose how to react to your world and reality. Fox, Krystal, Falco, Fara, and all the others lived now in a new reality and world that was nothing of their old one. This new world would tear them apart one by one, Bill died today but he will not be alone, in time they will all join him on the other side.

 _This new life, new world was heartless and cruel. Fox and his friends would have to forsake the very feelings that makes them living beings, different from walking beings if they wished to not join them. But as Miyu had said, they were all now living on borrowed time. One day they will all join Bill and escape this new reality._

X

 _ **Author's Notes**_

 _ **Yea I know…I KNOW! At least it's not dead right?**_

 _ **To be fair: I've updated High Reel Days twice, and Hit the Mark 3 times. Those two stories are higher priority but one is almost done.**_

 _ **Big decisions will ALWAYS be no farther apart than EVERY OTHER chapter. So you may get them back to back at the end, maybe a chapter later.**_

 _ **Regards – Zythxx**_


	3. All For One, And One For All

It was hard, practically impossible to take their eyes off of Bill's now crushed, and torn apart body as he lay there lifeless. Fox had to do the unthinkable, he had to kill his friend out of mercy, euthanizing what was left of his life before being tormented for as long as his body moved. He had to fight just to keep from vomiting out of pure disgust from what he had done. Fox never would have thought he would take a life, especially the life of someone who was practically family.

After many minutes, he finally spoke. "We can't stay here. We have to find some kind of shelter before more of those things show up."

"Why bother?" Fay spoke quietly, still broken and distraught after losing her love. "We will all die in time…Nowhere we go is safe. We should just give in and save ourselves the agony of being torn apart, like Bill was…"

"We're together now!" Katt stood to the vulpine as she tried to comfort her canine friend. "We can take those things out, and we can leave the school."

"And go where?" Miyu questioned the feline as she looked to her in the eyes. "If they are in the school, what makes you think outside the school is any better?"

"Surely there are other people on the streets." Krystal gave her two cents as the group of friends started to become one circle, all debating on what their next move should be. "It's better than staying in here locked up with those things!"

"Krystal." The linx turned her sights to her blue vixen friend. "It doesn't matter where we go, or what we do…It's only a matter of time."

"I would rather fight than just give in!" Katt tried to argue, but it didn't matter.

"We will discuss it later. For now we have to find Slippy." Fox looked to his friends of followers. Katt looked to the vulpine quirking a brow.

"You mean…You didn't find him? Dead or alive?"

"No, we came here first."

"They were in history right? That's probably the best part of the school to be in when this plague went down."

"That's what we figured, that's why we came for you guys first." Katt wanted to be optimistic. She wanted to tell them they had come just in time, but of course that couldn't be said…

Fox looked to his merry men of zombie survivors as he rotated his body and eyes. Krystal and Fara may have been shaken up, but they were holding it together for now. Miyu and Fay on the other hand…Of course Bill's death was hitting her hard, and she still cried in Miyu's chest as quiet and muffled as possible. Falco and Katt were on edge, as they should be. The longer they stayed in this hallway, the more time they wasted, and let the dead gang up on them in numbers. And Bill…

The vulpine looked toward his dead friends' remains as he still hadn't moved. It's not that he expected him to, part of Fox was trying to find some kind of optimism in all of this. Even in death Bill helped his friends from beyond the grave. He served as a reminder of what would happen to them if they were to get bit, and what would happen if they wasted anymore time in this hallway.

"We have to move. Slippy, Amanda, and Luna were in the southern end of the school before this all went down. They probably figured out to go to the woodshop classrooms to make something. By now they could be wandering the school, let's try and group up with them." All of his friends said nothing, only giving small nods except for Miyu and Fay.

That's when Fox thought about the supplies he got off of the dead canine police officer. His hands rolled over the smoothness of the gun, as he pulled it from his pants. He kept his second one concealed, just in case…

"Falco." Fox turned to his avian friend grabbing his attention, and presented the weapon. "You have the best eyesight of any of us. Stay back and protect Miyu and Fay. _Do not_ use this unless absolutely necessary. We have no idea what attracts them." Fox handed off the weapon giving emphasis to his words. It was a powerful tool to use against the dead, but if used in the wrong circumstances could cost them all their lives.

Falco breathed heavy as he reached for the weapon. He had never fired a gun before, he never had a reason to until now…He tried to calm his nerves as he took the weapon from the vulpine, rolling it in his hands slowly as it was heavier than he expected it to be. Of course it would be, this wasn't a game and it wasn't a toy. It was the real powerful force, the real thing.

"Okay…" Is all he gave back as he made sure to put it on safety, and tucked it in his pants.

"Follow me. Same plan as before, we have to keep moving and keep it tight." Fox gave the command as he led on, all his friends staying close to a certain extent. Miyu pushed Fay and herself near the end of the group as Falco watched every corner. Now he had a higher role in the group's protection and overall survival, he had to keep a cool and leveled head. But Falco didn't know if he could when all these corpses wanted his off his shoulders.

X

Luna breathed heavy, completely covered in blood as she gripped the axe also drenched in red so tightly. They had brought down so many of those things, those despicable dead hunters as the large welding room was littered with bodies. After the first few Luna had not been counting, she was too focused on trying to stay alive to treat this as some kind of sport or game. She was joined by her two amphibian friends as they looked to the fruit of their labor.

"We're already pretty low on nails Slippy." Amanda gave out loud as she reloaded her clip, ejecting the old cartridge and restocking it with a fresh supply. The green frog knew they had used a large chunk of their resources to stay alive, but that was the entire point. They had to do anything, by any means necessary to keep living in a world ruled amongst the dead.

"We used a bit less than half, and we took down over 40 zombies." Slippy had been counting this entire time, not because he thought it was fun, but out of sure curiosity.

"What now? That's only a small fraction of how many are probably left in other parts of the school."

"We need to leave, we have to find Fox and the others and hope they're alright."

"But where would we even begin to look for them?" Luna turned to them as she presented the question. A damn good question, they couldn't wandering around aimlessly and blind, not when the halls were filled with these monsters, stalking and lurking prey around every corner.

"Fox hadn't come for us in the time we we're fighting those things." Slippy speculated, trying to make an educational guess from the information he knew. "Taking these things down took about 40 minutes. That should have been enough time for Fox and the others to make it this far, given if they got out promptly before these things started swarming the halls."

"So what are you saying?"

"He probably went for Katt, Miyu, and Fay on the eastern side of the school."

"Even though more people would have been in that part?" Amanda questioned Slippy's logic as he went on.

"That's the point. Knowing there would be more dead, and less resources, Fox probably went after them first to make sure they would get out alive. He probably figured we could handle ourselves. At least for a little while."

"I sure as hell would think so." Luna finally began to calm down as she just looked to all the dead, trying not to hurl and took one of the rags to wipe away the blood that wasn't completely dried on her now.

"We can't get prideful. Our pride and our egos could get us killed if we aren't careful. We have to make every move logically, and precisely calculated."

"I know…"

"So what are you suggesting Slippy?" Amanda asked as the two made eye contact.

"We should make our way to the eastern side of the school to meet up with them. Let's go the long way so we can get there through the staircase to the second floor."

"Why would we do that?"

"I'm going to guess Katt and the girls figured someone was going to come looking for them after a while. They wouldn't run through the school to a different section if they knew the others knew they would be around the eastern part of the school. They would most likely try and outrun these things by going up multiple floors and classrooms."

"There also isn't as many students who have classes on the second floor too." Luna agreed with Slippy as he gave a small smile.

"Exactly, there wouldn't be as many dead and there would be more room to duck and dodge."

"You do understand though however…" Amanda paused as she got the attention of both her friends. "If we go the long way there is a good chance a lot of the dead are around there, and there isn't going to be any side routes or classrooms to run to. If we get swarmed we aren't going to make it."

"I think it's a better risk." Slippy tried to be brave as the two ladies looked to him with wondering eyes, how could anything so risky be worth the risk? "Anything we try to do is going to have some kind of risk. If we have to, use the Molotov and nail bombs."

"Okay…"

"Luna, take the lead and we'll watch every corner."

"Right." Luna grasped her axe tightly as they walked through the heaps of dead bodies all piled up. She couldn't help but stare at how much blood, how many guts and how many bodies were littering the once gray cement floors. She couldn't hold it anymore, Luna turned to her right supporting her weight against the wall, and let it all out.

It only took a moment, but within those few seconds she had spewed a lot among the floor. Slippy and Amanda only looked away as they weren't surprised. The frogs thought it was a miracle they didn't do the same. For some reason, Slippy felt calm, and in control.

"I'm okay…" Luna would wiped her mouth with one of other rags in her belt pouches. It had a fair bit of grease on it, but it was better than the infected blood of all the beings she killed.

"Let's move."

"Right." Luna held her axe tight as they slowly made their way around the entrance to the welding room, it was a good thing it was still daylight outside and the lights were still on. As it was a rather long corridor that connected the welding room to the rest of the school. She peeked her head out both ways, the cost clear as she led on. Slippy and Amanda came out one by one as they constantly checked the sides with their nail guns, making sure everything was quiet and clear.

They headed for the main building surprised there were no dead walking around just outside the main entrance of the school. As they walked through the double doors did they take in the horror silently, trying to be calm and keep a level head entering this deathtrap filled with freaks wanting to tear them apart.

The once blue floors with white walls of the school were covered in red, blood was absolutely everywhere. On the floors, on the walls, on the lockers amongst the sides and some even on the ceiling. For whatever reason this part of the school was empty, and their footsteps echoed in the quiet halls as they treaded carefully. There were only a few bodies, about a dozen in total that just laid motionless in various spots around the hall. Slippy made sure to watch these bodies carefully as he didn't know why they were motionless. Either someone had taken out these bodies or they were dead and not moving for another reason, perhaps a reason they have yet to figure out. Is it possible they were just resting? Or were they truly dead now?

Luna looked back to them as they saw the staircase that lead up to the second floor of the building, as well as also lead them to the eastern side of the school as Slippy gave her a nod. There was a bathroom and a small detention area in this part of the school as they turned the corner, the green frog watching them closely as the girls went on. Luna and Amanda ascended upwards as he swept the floors one last time for zombie activity. After everything was clear did he follow them closely behind.

The anticipation was just absolutely nerve-racking. These things could have been in any classroom, around any corner, or come could quickly behind them with little to no warning at all. The she-wolf had to be on her toes, as any move could be her last if she wasn't paying absolute attention with lightning reflexes to whatever may present themselves to her. There were only a few bodies lying around the second floor of this singled out hallway as Amanda was wrong, it seemed as though very few bodies, whether alive or zombie had made it all the way up here.

It was a special part of the school, as only two classrooms and about 50 lockers served this one singled out hallway. To the right were the rooms, and to the left a balcony view over the rest of the school. This special way did eventually lead to the eastern part of the school, where many other classrooms, lockers, and surely those dead freaks would be waiting for them. Luna looked down over the balcony, wishing she hadn't as she saw those things still moving down there, not aware of the three beings above them.

The center part of the school looked so much worse, covered in blood and littered with dozens upon dozens of bodies, while they still slowly but surely roamed those halls. Any being still alive wouldn't be able to escape on their own, it was hopeless for anybody trapped down there in that part of the school.

That's when Luna froze up in terror as she stopped in place, hearing the screams and cries for desperate help. About 20 feet in front of the three was a classroom, and people still alive surely being devoured by the dead as many screams cried out in terror, and then were suddenly silenced. Luna looked toward Slippy for confidence and guidance, unsure of what to do of this looming threat in front of them.

"Listen to me." Slippy whispered in a hushed tone to not draw attention. "There's nothing we can do for the people in that classroom. The dead are feeding on them as we speak, let's move quietly as they are distracted to their frenzy."

Luna was threatening to break out in tears as she only nodded, and turned back around. Her legs quivered as she struggled to find the strength to keep walking forward. If they made any noise at all the dead would turn on them and they would have to fight. Any amount from five to fifty of those things could be in that room, and it could be all over for them. But if they made any noise at all, the slightest sound above a whisper could attract all the dead down below to them. It was a lose-lose situation, or in this case, a die-die situation.

After several minutes, she summoned the courage somehow to walk again without pissing herself. Luna took it easy, step by step as they got closer to the entrance of the classrooms. She made sure to take the lightest steps while also trying to cover as much ground as possible in a single stride. As they came across the classroom were her eyes glued to the scene. About 20 zombies filled the classroom all fighting to feed on the remains of about five students who hadn't turned yet, until now that is. There would be too many to fight at one time. If they were discovered, they would surely die.

She soon crossed the scene undetected as Amanda did as well, and Slippy followed as they somehow got across the class without being detected. Luna tried to calm down as the feat had been done, but they weren't out of it yet. About two thirds of the hall remained and more classes filled with potential zombies were left. They counted themselves lucky, for now.

Unfortunately their luck didn't last, one of the zombies of the classroom happened to come to the doorway as it turned its head toward the three beings, heading straight for them making its battle cry. They all turned in that direction as without pause Slippy fired a few nails into its brain, the body falling in a slump a moment after.

"Oh no, fuck." Slippy said aloud as he could hear the rest of the zombies getting riled up at the potential catch of another meal, another body to feast upon. A few more started coming out of the doorway as they charged the three teens.

"Run!" Slippy said as they didn't need to be told twice. Luna and Amanda ran through the hall, it didn't matter if there were more zombies in these other rooms or not now. They couldn't stay in place and they couldn't be walking, their lives were in the hands of the Makers now. That's when Slippy decided to make a stand, it would be risky. But there was no other choice.

After getting about ten feet in distance from the pack of dead killers. Slippy turned to face them, his expression filled with mixed feelings and emotions. His face held a defiant, anticipated, and nervous look as he reached for his belt.

"Burn in hell you bastards!" He had no choice. Slippy reached for one of his Molotov cocktails as he quickly lit the rag, and threw it at the zombies in one swift motion. They were all stopped in place, as the dead let out loud screams of pain and agony, just writhing around in the flames quickly enveloping their dead bodies.

"Go!" Slippy called out to the two women as for some reason they stopped in place, he fired upon a few zombies coming out as he ran to catch up with them. They were truly against the clock now, if they were trapped in the school when the fire alarm and the sprinklers go off, it would be that much more of a challenge to get out of the school. Or at least a safe place before the halls would become soaked and every step could be a slip toward death.

X

"What was that!?" Krystal asked out loud as they all turned in direction the loud sound. It sounded as if glass shattering and then vast amount of screams all of a sudden as the sounds scared the group of teens. They were in the eastern part of the school, however on the base floor as they looked toward the staircase.

"It could have been anything." Falco tried to fight against the sound.

"No. It could be Slippy, or at least more survivors. We have to go!"

"Wait!" Falco tried to stop his vulpine friend as he fearlessly ran up the staircase. His lack of thinking and recklessness was bound to get them all killed in time. As Fox ran up the staircase so did Fara and then Krystal. Soon the only one left down on the ground floor was Falco as he threw away his better judgment and went after them.

Fox ran up the flight of stairs, bashing a few zombies out of the way as the others soon followed him. These part of the halls were packed full of dead as they started to descend upon the teens. But he was able to bat and swat enough out of the way as his friends soon joined him in the zombie killing. As Fox, Krystal, Fara, and the rest joined him did they take more and more ground from the dead, until the last one landed abruptly on the floor truly dead.

"Where did that noise come from?" Katt looked around as no living being was in sight, and the sound was now gone.

"I think it came from the secluded hallway." Fox suggested as he headed that direction, the rest soon following him in his leadership. The farther they went into the halls, the more dead brains they bashed out of cracked skulls of beings who had turned. Krystal and Fara faced the bathroom as they each took out two, and rejoined Fox and Katt clearing the front. A being tried to ambush Fara and Miyu from the side classroom as Falco intervened, bashing its brains out and blood splattering across the door and the side wall perpendicular to the doorway.

Fox smashed one last zombie standing, or limping in their way as he turned the corner to a surprise. In her blind rage, he crossed bat with axe against Luna as she reacted without even realizing who she was fighting.

"Luna stop it's me!" His bat now had a huge scar across its length as Luna finally realized what was going on. The two stood away from one another as it was so good to see a familiar face. Fox only counted himself lucky as he reacted quickly enough to block the she-wolf's strike, or else she would have cut his head in two.

"Fox…" Luna gave softly as she dropped her axe, and dove straight into the arms of her favorite vulpine at this time and began to softly cry. After death had come for them many times, it was so good to see a face not covered in blood wanting to kill you. He was surprised at first, but not truly as any of them could be the same way. They all thought the same things. How could they commit such atrocities? It was out of self-defense of course, but how would they ever forget? How could they ever move on and keep a positive and sane head on their shoulders? He just let her cry in his chest, slowly wrapping his arms around her trying to hush her cries.

As much as Krystal or Fara wanted to interject, as they also both wanted companionship and a handsome vulpine to cry with, they both held their tongues. Now was not the time to have a complete mental break down, and the more people who weren't distraught at this moment, the better.

Fox and Slippy looked toward one another, with small smiles as they cheered in their victory. They were all together now. Fox couldn't be more proud of his amphibian friend, taking charge and breaking from his peaceful ways to keep everyone alive.

"I knew you wouldn't leave us behind." Slippy was the first to talk as he stood close to Amanda.

"Of course not Slippy. We are going to make it through this, and the only way we can is together."

"Of course." Although it was a major accomplishment, defying death as they spoke. Now was not the time to stop and chat, they had to move constantly. They would always have to be moving, thinking on their toes. But that's when Slippy noticed…

"Wait where's Bill?" He asked and nobody answered. After a moment Slippy realized what had happened. He never would have thought Bill wouldn't be with them anymore.

"He's gone." Fox answered quietly as Luna looked to him with surprised, sobbing eyes as well.

"What's next Fox?" Slippy swallowed hard as he asked, the vulpine broke the eye contact. He looked puzzled and confused as he tried to think quickly. Now they were all together, just what could they do?

"We're all together again. Now we have to get out of the school."

"How do we know that's the best idea?" Falco interjected as he stopped watching the rear and gave his two cents. After being dragged through the school filled with freaks wanting to rip them limb from limb, he was done following blindly on a wild survivor chase. "You think it's any better out there? It's going to be 10 times worse." Fox thought it was strange, Falco was the one who wanted to leave at first, why would he change his mind?

"We can only stay in here so long. How long before we are cornered with no way out? What about our parents?"

"Fox, forget our parents right now." Falco spoke alone as the rest were astonished, blown away he could say such a thing about the people they all cared about the most, their very loved ones. "We have to focus on the here and now, we have to focus on us!"

"I'm trying Falco!" The two began to lose their temper for one another, as Fox pushed Luna away for the moment as they stood against one another. "We have to take this one step at a time! Now we're all together again, for now let's find a way out of the school."

"No one made you the leader Fox!" Falco pointed his finger toward his vulpine friend. "We are lucky we found the rest of our friends alive! You put all of our lives in danger on a bleak hope staying in the school when the smart thing would have been to listen to me and leave while we could! Now we are trapped in here with those freaks around every corner! What makes you think finding our parents will even be possible!? Not with fucking zombies walking around everywhere!"

"One problem at a time! There's no point staying here!" The two began to get very heated as some of their female friends tried to separate them.

"Boys this isn't the time for this!" Krystal pushed against Fox as Fara pushed against Falco, both glaring one another down.

"You wanted to leave us…" Katt stood to her avian love, or so she thought as the feline's face was in complete disbelief. "You wanted to leave us, to leave me behind to die!?"

"No! That's not what I meant Katt!"

"You fucking admitted it you idiotic asshole!" The feline's temper had to be contained by Luna as she pushed against the walls. She couldn't believe what her ears picked up. Falco wanted to leave his friends, and the feline to die to save his own skin. She had absolute faith in the avian that he would come looking for him. Faith clearly mistrusted as he would have ran away with his tail between his legs if it wasn't for Fox leading the way. Katt put together that if the group hadn't come, under Fox's leadership they would have eventually been pushed in by the zombies and eaten alive. If Falco had been leading the group she would be dead. And that made her all the more furious.

"Guys come on this isn't help-!" Slippy began to call out until he was suddenly interrupted by one of the zombified students gnawing on his extended right arm, as he let out a horrified and surprised scream at the top of his lunges. The group of teens had begun arguing and fighting so much with each other they let their guard down, and now Slippy was paying the price for it. Perhaps with his very life. The walker ripped and tore at the flesh from his arm, as his blood began to spill on the floor and sharp fangs ripped out muscles and veins.

Fox reacted the quickest as he cut down the zombie without pause, lobbing off its head as the severed part fell to the floor, and Slippy fell back against the railing holding his wound as Amanda caught him. The pain was so intense, he had never experienced such pain as fear spread through his mind of what would happen to him.

"No Slippy no!" Amanda began to cry as Slippy tried to keep from bleeding out. She turned toward the vulpine completely desperate as tears broke in her eyes. "Help him!"

This time Fox would not hesitate. If he was going to save Slippy's life he had to react fast. Fox looked for everything and anything as he thought about what he could do quickly. That's when he saw the axe lying on the ground dropped by Luna. It was incredibly risky, there was no guarantee Slippy would live after excessive blood loss or from the shock his body would surely go into. But what choice did they have? Time was ticking fast before Slippy would die, and eventually turn. They had already lost Bill, Fox would not lose another!

Fox first took the toad's belt off quickly as he wrapped it around a bit higher on the toad's wounded right arm. He tightened the notches on the belt to create a homemade tourniquet to stop blood flow after completing what the vulpine was about to do. He quickly scrambled for the axe as he grabbed it tightly, and swung it over his head as he looked to Slippy with crazed eyes. Everybody gave crazed eyes to the vulpine as they figured out what he was going to do. Was he insane?

"I'm sorry!" Fox said as he swung down hard, right at the connection of the forearm to the elbow as Slippy let out a scream much louder than the first. Fox was trying to lob off the limb that had been bitten before the infection would spread through the rest of the toad's body. Fox swung a second, and then a third time as it finally came dismembered from the rest of Slippy's body, as the toad went into unconsciousness from massive pain intake.

"Are you insane!?" Amanda interjected as she was helpless to stop the vulpine's rampage against her love.

"I had to do something! If I had done nothing the disease would have spread!" Fox tried to defend his actions to his friends as they all said nothing. It made sense in a way, perhaps he cut away enough of the infection before it could spread into the toad. Though no was no time to pause, Slippy was bleeding tremendously and they had to react quickly to save his life from blood loss.

"Give me all the rags!" Luna called out as she took all of hers, Amanda's, and Slippy's rags from their belts that weren't covered in blood from the zombies they cut down earlier. Thanks to the tourniquet via the vulpine's quick thinking, it wasn't as bad as it could have been if he had just lobbed the limb straight off. However he was still losing a good amount of blood and quickly as well.

"What are we going to do!?" Everyone was beginning to panic, not only did they have a dying friend on their hands but surely more of the dead were coming for them after all the commotion and noise.

"Let's retreat back to the hall! The teacher's lounge is at the end!" They all did as Miyu said and headed back the way they came. Fox picked up his unconscious friend as Amanda covered the rear, a few zombies now showing themselves. She picked up her nail gun and fired a few more, making sure to gun down any and all of them present for revenge against what they did to her love. Luna led the way as she bashed the skulls of two zombies coming up the stairs, the bodies falling toward the stairwell as she looked down to see a few more trying to come up. The teens were now starting to get swarmed and surrounded on both sides, it wasn't looking good.

Luna used her quick thinking as she reached for a Molotov cocktail, and lit the end as she threw it to slow them down. It didn't matter how much noise they made now, she had to do something stop their relentless assault and cut their numbers down. She ran for the teacher's lounge as the rest of the teens had entered, as soon as she ran in Fox and Falco slammed the door behind them, locking it as they knew it wouldn't last for long.

"Falco, Katt help me move what we can in front of the door! Krystal grab the medical kit and help with Slippy!" Everybody followed his lead and went to work. The two men and the rest of the women helped stack many heavy cabinets, chairs, desks, whatever they could against the doorway to stop the dead from coming in. Slippy was swarmed with Amanda, Krystal, Miyu, and Fay to overlook his wound. He was bleeding through the rags, it wasn't looking good for Slippy's survival.

After a minute those who were stacking items against door looked to their handiwork, the door was completely blockaded and it would take some time before the dead would be able to permeate their defense. Fox looked back to Slippy fighting for his life, as his breathing was slow and shallow.

A few minutes later the ladies had done all they could, his cut was completely wrapped and bandaged up with all the medical wraps they had. No blood had pierced through yet, hopefully it woul stop and he would live. They had no idea what would happen to him though, and that made them worry. At any moment Slippy could spring up, dead and not himself to attack his former friends. He was a ticking time bomb, or so it seemed.

The vulpine found whatever soft cushioning he could around the room as he created a makeshift pillow for the toad, and placed it gently under his head. Hoping, and praying that he would be alright.

"What now?" Krystal looked to Fox as he tried to think. It was still daylight outside, but how could they leave now with Slippy wounded and unconscious? They would be down two people to guard whoever was carrying him as they tried to escape. And with who was in spirits enough to fight, that didn't seem like a feasible option.

However, what was Plan B? The longer they stayed in the school, the more dire the situation becomes. More and more beings in the school still alive would die, and in time it would be only them against a school filled with walking dead.

"We can't go anywhere while Slippy is unconscious. For now we have to wait and see if he wakes up."

"If? _If_ he wakes up!?" Once again Falco disagreed with the vulpine's leadership and better judgment. Fox looked to him with harsh eyes as Falco was completely in disbelief. "We can't wait around to see if he turns and kills us!"

"Don't say things like that!" Fox would not have the avian disrespect his amphibian friend while he wasn't even conscious to defend himself. "Slippy will pull through! We just have to believe in him like we did before!"

"He was bit! You chopped his fucking arm off!"

"I did what no one else was going to do! I had to do something to try and save his life!"

"He's now just going to bleed to death!"

"Stop it! Stop fighting!" Krystal got between the two men who were arguing and fighting for dominance over leadership of their mutual friends. It took a moment, but after calming down, Fox then backed down.

"Falco." Fox started slowly, trying to calm his mind and his tone of voice to not attract any of the dead they have managed to avoid so far. "We can't just leave Slippy here like this, not after he risked his life to find us."

"Correction, _you_ can't leave. The rest of us have our own free will Fox. And I don't want to sit here locked in a fucking room with no way out when those things find us!" Falco argued with the vulpine, making sure to keep his tone down in volume to avoid attracting more of those things on the outside. The only thing that stood between them and death was a 10 foot tall by 5 foot wide barricade of compiled wooden objects.

"Then leave Falco." Fox gave back as everyone, including the avian was appalled. They had already lost Bill, Slippy was critically wounded and fighting for his life. How could he just tell Falco to take off when they were already wounded from the loss of others?

"No one is forcing you to stay with us. If you want to leave, to forsake the rest of us and watch your own back, then go. I'm not going to force you or fight with you to keep you around if you want to watch out for yourself. But I am going to stay with Slippy." Fox took a pause as he looked to everybody starting at him in a semi-circle. He was sick of everyone giving him that same dumb stare. He didn't ask for this, he didn't ask for the burden of leadership to be thrusted upon his shoulders. He didn't ask to be responsible for the decisions that affected all of their lives.

"That goes for all of you!" He started off, still hushing his tone. "If you want to leave, then go! If you think you can do better then be my guest! See how far you get." And with that, Fox turned around to look over Slippy still unconscious. Falco, Krystal, Katt, everybody was left in a confused daze as they all thought and pondered over their fates. Both if they went out on their own, and if they stayed with the vulpine.

All the individuals thought about it quietly as all talking and hostilities came to a halt. Amanda and Fox looked over the unconscious toad as she looked to him with thankful, tear-filled eyes.

"Thank you." Fox only nodded as they went on to overlook the toad, doing anything they can do for him. But all they really could do had been done, the only thing that was left to was to pray, and hope he would pull through and be alright. Fox then took the liberty of going through what was in the teacher's lounge, to see if any supplies had been left to be scavenged and useful.

Various teens took a seat along the walls on the floor deep in thought. Each one wondered where their safety would be best trusted in. Their own judgement, or Fox's. For most of them Fox had done alright so far, he had kept everyone together and alive for the most part. They had been thrusted into a deadly and hopeless situation. If it wasn't for his leadership, many of them if not all would be dead.

But on the other hand, by staying here waiting for Slippy to either come around or die basically was gambling with their lives again. Many of them thought what would have happened if they had followed Falco's lead, and looked after themselves instead of hunting through the school for everybody else. Would they have gotten out? Would they have found help and lived? Or would they have been swiftly over swarmed and eaten alive? They would never know, all they could do was think about the here and now. Who did they trust more with their lives? Fox, or themselves?

Krystal, Fara, and Luna all sat within whispering tones of another against the same wall as they all pondered their survival probability.

"What do you two think?" Krystal broke the ice as she had Luna to her left, and Fara to her right.

"I think staying with Fox is the best." Fara was the first to admit her rationale. "There's no telling what would have happened if we went to the streets in that massive panic, without having come in contact with one of the dead. We lost Bill…but the rest of us are alive and together."

"I think you're right." Luna continued with what Fara was trying to explain. "If Fox wasn't leading everybody, it seems like everyone would have been for themselves. And if that would have been the case, the odds of any of us getting out alive on our own would have practically been zero."

"I don't know." Krystal thought about everything as she wasn't as convinced as her two friends. "We could have gotten to one of the cars…Maybe gotten to some soldiers on the streets, we would at least be mobile and not trapped in here like we are now."

"We don't know that for sure." Luna locked eyes with the blue vixen as they debated over the topic. "We could have very easily been swarmed with any of the zombies outside the school grounds as well. Hell even some that are nearby still in the school perimeter."

"I suppose." The blue vixen still wasn't convinced.

"Let's think of it this way." They both looked over to the fennec as she was about to lay out an example for the two. "There are 10 of us left including Slippy. How many other people are willing to leave and branch out on their own with Falco? Even if they did think the same as he does? Would you rather stay in a group of 7 or 8, or 2 or 3?"

"Yea that's a very good point." Krystal didn't like it, but she had to admit their odds of staying in the school, with more people in their group, was still better than going out there to face the unknown with a fraction of the size. She didn't like it, but her best odds of surviving was with a large group, and to stay with her friends.

"Do you really think Falco is going to leave?" Luna sounded concerned.

"He very well could." Krystal sensed the struggle on the avian's mind, in constant battle with himself on what his best odds of survival were. "It makes sense. Fox is practically leading us blind. We've gotten lucky this whole time."

"But that won't change if we left the school. And right now Slippy is in no condition to travel." Fara argued as they kept pondering the decisions in their minds and talk.

"But how long can we wait?" Luna questioned. "A few hours? Half a day? A day? Fox has to know that as well. Slippy may very well die. We have to get him some kind of medical attention while we still can."

"We can't do that." This time Krystal intervened, in favor of the idea of staying. "They'll kill him once they see he got bit." Krystal stopped as she looked to her toad friend, still fighting the battle for his life. "Slippy has to fight off whatever this is on his own. That's all we can do for him."

"Who do you think would leave with Falco?" Fara changed the subject. "I don't think Miyu or Fay would go with him."

"He wouldn't want them to go with him. It's just another back he has to cover and protect. Katt would be the only one who would go with him and even she probably won't." Krystal gave as she could sense the feline's thoughts. The idea that Falco, someone she cared about so deeply was going to leave her for dead was sickening. She would have went to hell and back to find Falco alive and get him out the same. But he was willing to forsake her, and everything the two's relationship was for his own feathers.

"I can't believe he would just leave everyone for dead to save himself." Luna was disgusted as she peered angrily at the avian.

"It makes sense." Krystal couldn't' believe she was defending Falco. "There was no way to tell and no guarantee any of us would be alive. It was either get out while you can, or take a risk going deeper into the school for someone you don't even know is still alive."

"Regardless, our best chance at surviving this is to stay together. Fox has done alright by me, I'm going to stay." Fara finally concluded.

"I will too. I trust his judgment over my own for my wellbeing." Luna had come to her conclusion as well.

"Well…I guess I'll play follow the leader, for perhaps the last time." Krystal sighed as she too had decided to stay.

"I want that gun Fox gave Falco, we need to try and persuade him to stay." Fara hinted before they ceased their conversation.

On the other end of the room, Falco and Katt sat next to each other but a good distance apart, looking in opposite directions. Falco looked to the door as he spoke.

"We should do it."

"Are you fucking insane? Go out of the school with two or three people? Pass."

"It's better than sitting here waiting for those things to swarm down on us."

"If you want to go Falco, go. I don't care what you do now."

"You don't mean that." Falco turned to face the feline. He knew he had messed up admitting he was willing to leave her to die, but surely she could see the reasoning behind it. They had no idea what would happen or what they were getting into. Why trust chance when you can trust your instincts?

"Oh I do Falco." Katt was not buying it, as she turned to face the avian, her face completely livid. Her words stung like venom as she spoke. "Leave if you want, I don't give a shit what happens to you. After everything we had went through together…And you were so eager and willing to leave me behind...The only reason I still tolerate you is because our relationship is not worth getting us, and everyone else killed over."

"Katt." He tried to give her a supporting hand, but the feline quickly swiped it away.

"Don't fucking touch me. Don't talk to me unless it's necessary. From this point on, we survive side-by-side. But that is it." Katt excused herself as she stood up, the only one of those sitting down as Falco was just left in the dust. He didn't know what to say or to think. He knew he had messed up, he could only hope his feline companion would forgive him in time.

Katt looked toward Miyu and Fay sitting in another corner of the room by themselves. Neither of them were talking, Fay had calmed down to an extent but she still shed small tears here and there. Amanda hovered over Slippy as he was still alive, still breathing, but also still unconscious. She looked worried and stricken with grief, the feline could only hope their friend would pull through.

Katt figured she would go see what Fox was doing, as he had gone through many of the cupboards and storage units, looking for anything and everything.

"What did you find?" She asked still whispering looking at the pile he had amassed. He had anything from tap and scissors, to other supplies such as glue, a couple of stored water bottles, a flashlight, and so on.

"I found a few backpacks that got left in here from the teachers. They had some supplies like scissors, pieces of clothing, and things like that. I double checked and there are no more medical supplies in here. Got some water for anyone who's thirsty."

"What's in the Tupperware?" Katt asked, her mouth slowly salivating at what could be inside the plastic food storage container. Fox gave her a dismal look.

"It's some noodles and sauce, and I found a few breadsticks as well a fast food sandwich in the fridge. But that's it." Fox swallowed as he said the words, looking over his shoulder to make sure no one heard him. If everyone had heard about food, they would have swarmed him for sure to try and get a share of what could be their last meal.

Katt looked over her shoulder as she whispered. "There isn't enough for everyone is there?"

"No, but we should share so everyone has something at least. We've all went through a tremendous amount, and we all need to keep up our strength."

"What about Falco? Should we give him some even though he might leave? What about that gun he has?" She didn't trust the avian as he closed his eyes for now.

"We will." Fox spoke confidently as the feline looked back to him. "It's the humane thing to do, whether he stays or not. He should also keep the gun, I have a spare, and he'll need it if he goes off on his own."

"You are way too nice Fox."

"It's the right thing to do." He smiled to her as Katt gave one back.

"Is there anything I can do?"

"You can help pack some of these supplies." Katt only nodded as the two worked side by side. She thought it was astonishing, he was able to smile and stay optimistic. After all of this, after all they had done as she looked to him with desiring eyes and kept her sights low. Now that she was officially single, and the market of potential mates has been severely limited due to a planet wide pandemic, he looked very attractive.

Katt said no words, as Fox felt something surprisingly and looked to see she had wrapped his tail around with hers. He said nothing as he showed a light blush, as the feline smiled to him and went back to work, pulling her tail back…for now. After a few moments everything of use had been packed, and Fox turned to Katt holding all the food they found.

"Everyone." Fox called out getting everybody's attention, as he approached a counter by the side. "We found some food. There isn't much…but there is enough to share." Surprisingly no one argued, nobody rose up immediately fighting over what there was. They all came one by one for their shares, which was only a tiny bit of a sandwich and a small handful of pasta noodles, and a small break off of garlic bread. They shared the four water bottles between them all, and by the time they were all alright there was less than half of one left. They ate in silence, all thinking quietly with thoughts that were so loud to them, yet no words to share between them all.

"What should we do Fox?" Fara finally asked as she broke the silence, and all looked to the vulpine for an answer. He didn't speak right away, as Fox tried to collect his thoughts. Again the burden of responsibility was dropped on his shoulders. He spoke diligently, yet with caution at the same time.

"We can't do anything right now until we find out what happens to Slippy." The vulpine looked to his friend who had fallen in a slumber-like subconscious. "Let's give it a few hours, let everyone rest up a bit before we plan our next move. If nothing else, we can carry Slippy with us."

"Isn't that risky?" Miyu interjected as she was worried. They were all worried, flat out terrified for their lives.

"No matter what happens, we have to stay together. We can talk about it, and try and come up with a plan. Both for if we decide to stay in the school, or if we try to leave. No matter what we decide, we have to come up with a plan and take initiative."

"So you don't know what we should do?" Krystal asked as she read in between the lines. Everyone looked fearful as he spoke, trying to keep their hopes up.

"No." He said plainly. "But I have an idea…"

"Which is what?" Luna asked.

"There is a room at my house. I've never been in it, but my dad told me to only go in if it was an emergency. If there was some kind of planet wide conflict like a war or something."

"So you think something is in that room to help us?" Fay asked as she brought imagination into everyone's mind. Falco perked up his head as he was finally interested in the conversation.

"Whatever is in there, it's probably our best bet of surviving if," Fox took a pause as he looked straight to the avian, holding his metal bat between his legs upright " _if_ we leave the school."

"What's the other option? To stay in the school?" Katt asked as the vulpine looked to his wondering friend.

"Yes. If we stay in the school, over time we could possibly eliminate and kill all those things wandering the grounds."

"I don't see how that is a good strategy." Krystal pondered out loud.

"When the outbreak started to spread through the school, it was spread first by a being who bit a teacher through the gate. The gate may still be latched, which means nothing, no zombies or people can get in or get out of the gate."

"So you're thinking we hunt through the school to kill all these fuckers, and over time the school could be our own safe haven." Falco figured out the vulpine's plan as they locked eye contact.

"Yes. And if we hunted through the school, there should be enough supplies throughout the grounds to last for quite a while. Anything from clothing, medical supplies, water, to things such as weapons and food. Cafeteria's alone are supposed to store enough food for months."

"So the basic cut and dry plan to this option is: We kill all the zombies throughout the school, and, assuming the gate is still locked, keep it locked so no one can get in or out. We eliminate the threat from the inside while keeping more out." Krystal pieced it together.

"Exactly." Fox gave her. "We would have to be diligent and careful, there's no telling how many of those things are still wandering around. But that's the basic plan. Kill them all, and then stay put."

"What do you believe is the best option?" Another question came to the vulpine as he let out his held breath and sighed, holding his puzzled head as he thought. Everyone looked to him, everybody wanted an answer that was sure proof, with no possibility of failing and anyone else dying. But that's the beauty about life, everything is by chance.

"I don't know. Either option is going to have its own risks and rewards. " Fox simply gave as he looked around the room to all his friends. "I have no idea and can only guess what's in that room at my house. But we have no idea how many of the dead are still wandering in the school. Whatever we do, we do together and we stick together. We can discuss it more, but for now. We should all get some rest. Try and sleep for a few hours before we do anything. I'll take watch and keep my eyes and ears peeled for activity."

No one said anything, they all nodded in silent agreement and adjusted to try and get comfortable. Some were leaning against bottom cabinets while others laid on the tiled flooring. As much as Fox was right, would they get any rest at all? After all the horrors they've committed? After all the death that had marked them today? They didn't know, but they had to try and regain some energy and strength.

Fox looked outside the window through the blinds, to see many of those things still wandering around outside. It was only a matter of time before they would have to act, and do something. Those things would find them eventually, the only thing that was left was to decide what to do. Do they stand and fight to try and create a safe haven in the school? Or take a chance and leave, to face whatever was on the other side of the gate.

Fox stood up as he gathered all the supplies together in a corner. From everything in the backpacks and belts, to all the weapons they had collected so far. Fox looked to Slippy still unconscious.

 _He was hoping for the best, and also preparing for the worst._

X

 **Author's Notes**

 _ **Another HUGE decision left to you guys. Should they stay or should they go? (Song reference OP). Think about it and debate!**_

 _ **Regards – Zythxx**_


	4. A Deadly Move

A few hours later everyone was beginning to stir awake, some were able to get some much needed rest, while some barely slept a wink. Hopefully tonight they would get some rest, if they ever do find a place they could call safe from the walking dead. Over this time period Fox kept his eyes and his ears peeled, this part of the school had been deserted for the longest time now. Either the dead had gathered somewhere else, another place to hunt for those still alive, or all the zombies in this part of the school had been wiped out. Either by them, or someone else still alive.

"So how do we go about leaving?" Krystal asked out loud as everyone was putting on a backpack filled with supplies. Each bag had anything from rags and tape, to crowbars or the metal bats. Each one was given a small share of the load to keep everything from going to waste. The belts that Slippy, Amanda, and Luna had from the welding shop were now worn on Fox and Katt, while Luna still wore hers.

"Are we sure that's the best idea?" Katt asked aloud, looking to Fox for an answer.

"We can check out the front gate, see if it's still locked, but perhaps the best thing to do is to leave." Fox made sure all his supplies were in order, as he now wore a long sleeve red and black flannel shirt, rolling the sleeves up to his elbows. He looked back to his band of death defilers as he went on, "Perhaps a few of us should do a little scouting, and see if it is still latched."

"Yea, who's going to volunteer for that?" Falco asked rhetorically, obviously no one was jumping to volunteer for something so dangerous and suicidal. After a few moments of everyone looking around to each other, the pink feline stepped up.

"I'll go."

"Are you sure?" Fox turned toward her.

"You don't see anybody else volunteering do you?"

"No, thank you." They exchanged nods as Fox gave the plan before the two would depart.

"Katt and I will check out the front gate to see if staying is an option, while we do so you guys try and figure out a plan on getting everyone out of here. As well as a way we can transport Slippy safely."

"Okay." Amanda nodded as Fox and Katt turned toward one another.

"Are we going to tear down the barricade?"

"That or we could go through the window, and circle around to the other side of the building toward the front gate. We could take it slowly across the miniature walkway."

"That sounds stupid and dangerous."

"Let's look first." Falco peeked through the small crack available to see outside of their made up barricade. Surprisingly nothing was around. Nothing dead, and no one alive.

"The coast is clear."

"Alright, let's take down the barricade quietly. Just enough for Katt and I to slip by. We'll be sure to stay quiet and not take any unnecessary risks."

"Okay." Falco agreed as the others slowly yet quietly starting moving desks, tables, and chairs away from the door. They did so by moving everything toward the latched side of the door, and opened it just enough for Falco and Katt to slip through.

"Be careful out there." Falco gave his two friends the best of luck.

"We will." Fox whispered as he and the feline were on the other side, and the door closed while re-erecting the barricade. Fox whispered quietly to the feline.

"Follow me."

"I'm behind you." They walked quickly yet quietly through the school. Looking around every corner for who knows what. They headed towards the center part of the school, and although it was bound to have many of those freaks out there, it was also the quickest and shortest distance toward the front of the gates. Truth be told they only had to walk a few hundred feet, two hallways to reach a spot where you could look out toward the front part of the school and ultimately the gate. However with who knows how many zombies still wandering around the school, it could take some time. Fox and Katt made sure to check around every corner, every door a double take and every hallway a clear sight while also watching their tails. They communicated through head nods and hand signals, making sure to keep their ears open and their eyes peeled.

So far it was a pretty simple hike, there were bodies and blood scattered everywhere, but they didn't move. And there were no signs of the dead in sight, that is until Fox turned the corner, and immediately hid behind the halls keeping the feline behind him as well. He shook his head side-to-side quickly, as he told her to stay back. Fox slowly peaked his sights over the hallway, barely enough to see. But even with one eye he saw everything they feared.

The hallway was literally filled with dead wandering aimlessly around. Even though they were on the second floor dozens upon dozens of the dead filled this area. It seems as though they gathered around here for whatever reason and had yet to disperse. Whether they were chasing a sound, or fresh prey the vulpine didn't know. But there was no point in worrying why they were here, all that mattered as that they were in the way. And there was no way to get around them without surely meeting death.

"Now what?" Katt asked, trying to stay calm as she whispered barely audible to the vulpine, despite him being right next to her. Fox looked back toward the direction of his friends, they had gone about half the distance. They could just turn back, now seeing just how many were in this part of the school, how many of them surely could there be? Dozens? Hundreds? Or even more?

He tried to think quickly, they couldn't stay here in case they were discovered. That's when it hit him.

"Check to see if those bathrooms are clear." Fox told his feline friend as Katt did as she was told. After looking through both of the bathrooms, she came to her conclusion.

"Nothing."

"Okay. Get ready to run." Is all the vulpine said and that made the feline worry. Fox dug quickly through his bag as he grabbed one of the spare crowbars and approached where he once stood peering out to the unlively crowd. With as much force as he could, Fox chucked the crowbar through the air, its metal banging and ringing loudly against the tile floors below. Fox grabbed the feline's hand and ran for the nearby bathroom, as he could hear the dead starting to react.

Just like prey being stalked, the dozens upon dozens responded to the sudden intrusion of the loud ringing sound. And they all marched down toward it in the opposite direction that Fox and Katt ran to. They had no idea what they responded to, and no idea just how powerful each individual zombie was. It was clear they responded to sound, but whether or not they responded to sight was something yet to be tested. The vulpine had locked the two inside a small stall with sweat on the back of their necks. Their bodies touched due to the nature of the small space they both inhabited, as Katt could listen and hear the vulpine's heartbeat as her head was upon his chest. It was going insane, Fox didn't know if his move would cost them or save them, but it was another risk he was willing to take.

After several moments, the sound was completely gone, and the two let go of their stilled breaths.

"You know this close up, you're very attractive." Fox looked back to his friend as she whispered in his ear, playing games with the vulpine. Part of it was to calm his nerves, the other part of it was a subtle sign of fun.

"I would take it better if our lives weren't in constant danger of being torn apart."

"I know…" The two separated as Fox went first, looking forward just enough to see that the coast was clear.

"Keep close."

"Okay." The two went back around the same hallway to now find it empty. As Fox very slowly and quietly looked over the edge to the main floor below. Most if not all of the dead went downstairs, as many of them gathered around the crowbar he chucked as he could see it surrounded by several lifeless beings. Fox kept low as he looked back toward his feline friend, and communicated for them to move forward.

They kept low, making sure to keep out of sight as they headed forward into the next hall. It too was empty of anything walking about. As Fox and Katt got to the center of the hallway, making sure nothing was moving and there was nothing around. Fox and Katt looked toward the front gate, to find both good and bad news.

"Well it isn't busted open…"

"Yea but…" Katt stopped as no words were needed for the scene. The northern part of the school. Where the gates stood tall and vast space where students used to hang out, was occupied by perhaps hundreds of dead students just wandering aimlessly. They completely filled the normally empty front part of the school, as their numbers seemed unending. And the hope slowly dying in the two teens' heart.

"There's no way we could fight this many." Katt whispered as she gave her opinion on the matter. "Even if we could secure the school, this many alone would completely overwhelm us."

"You're right." Fox came to the same conclusion. There were once a thousand young students that attended this school, and it was clear that the vast majority of them were dead and had not left the grounds. There was no way for them to. The gate was still locked, and it locked them inside as well.

"We can't stay here, not without real weapons, not just the 10 of us."

"So how do we leave?" Katt asked trying to keep her spirits up.

"Hopefully the others came up with a plan, let's head back."

"Okay." The two teens took no more than five steps back toward their friends, as an ear piercing scream went out through the halls they were in. The two turned toward the direction of the sound, as it was around the corner of the hallway starting to go into the western end of the school. Where Fox's group from P.E. had originally started.

"Fox wait." Katt stopped him in his tracks as he began to charge that way. "We can't help them."

"We can't leave them to die!" He tried to argue.

"We can't save everybody! We have no idea how many are in that part of the school or if they're still alive!"

"We can't just leave and do nothing!" Fox was done arguing as he took off. Katt only threw her head in a rage as she grudgingly went after him. They couldn't keep doing this, not charging in blindly against whatever odds were around the corner.

A group of dead were approaching the six teens, as three men held their grounds with whatever they could get ahold of, and three women stood behind their wall of protectors.

"Wolf." The girl spoke, clearly frightened as tears broke from her eyes.

"Shit, stay back." The lupine stood his ground, as about five beings approached them slowly. They had been fighting this entire time, with no break and no safe haven from the dead. Wolf raised the wooden bat he found on the floor as one of the zombies started getting closer. Before Fox charged in surprising them all, and batted two of them away with one stroke. Katt joined him on the opposite side as she took out the middle corpse. Wolf and Panther finally responded as they took out the last two on their right, and just like that the threat was eliminated.

"Fox." He turned toward the calling of his name, to see a brown vixen slowly crying.

"Jessie."

"You're alive." She ran into his arms as the vulpine didn't know how to respond. He just tried to comfort her any way he could, as Fox looked to this second group of survivors. Jessie and her friends, the black jungle cat Narine, and the white vixen Natasha had somehow grouped up with Wolf and his friends. Panther and Leon joined the two sides of the lupine as he looked to their vulpine hero.

Fox tried to comfort the vixen but didn't know what to say, he knew that Wolf and her were dating. Although Wolf was grateful for their aid, he couldn't help but be a little jealous.

"Thank you Fox." He genuinely gave to the vulpine to Fox's surprise. They didn't get along, but clearly the two had enough sense in them that grudges and immature rivalries did not have a place in this new world. If they were going to survive, they had to put differences aside and work together.

"No problem, looks like we got here just in time."

"Yea." Wolf admitted as he looked down. "There was more of us, I tried to lead them as best as I could but…Most wound up dead."

"You did your best, let's not join them."

"There's somewhere safe?" Narine asked through a broken voice, as she had not completely calmed down yet. Those things still littered the halls, she figured nowhere was safe.

"For now. Come back with us."

"Thank you so much." Panther tried to breathe easy as he surveyed the halls, it was still quiet and empty besides them. Fox started to smile as Katt yanked him away, her face angered and mistrustful.

"You aren't seriously going to bring them back with us. There's too many of us as it is."

"We can't just leave them to die Katt." Fox whispered to try and hide it from the second group of teens.

"How do you think the others are going to respond?"

"You're seriously going to leave us to die because of some fucking immature pranks!?" Jessie was saddened, angered, and hurt. The brown vixen knew she had treated Fox's friends poorly over the years, but leaving them to fend for themselves in a hopeless situation seemed like a bit too harsh. She saw it as unjust, Katt saw it as karma.

"Fox come on."

"We will deal with it when we get back, but we can't just leave them for dead. We have better odds i4f we stay together." Katt let go of her breath as she shook her head back and forth. As much as she didn't like Jessie, and as much as it went against her opinion. She knew Fox was right. Like it or not, leaving them to die in the school was inhumane, immoral, and wrong. Not when they had the means to possibly save them. The best odds of surviving was picking up who they could.

"Fine."

Fox nodded to his feline friend as he looked back to Wolf, who almost looked like he was going to cry if they were told they couldn't come along to the safe haven. He was strong, mentally tough, but men could be broken when death stared at them in the face like it had already before.

"Follow us."

"Thank you." Narine whispered as they all kept together, quickly yet quietly back toward their hideout.

X

"They've been gone a while now." Krystal let aloud, as she had kept time of when Fox and Katt left. It had been over an hour since they departed from the rest of the group.

"I wish we would have remembered to give them one of the talkies." Amanda admitted aloud as she looked over Slippy, still breathing yet still unconscious. "Do you think anything happened?"

"Whether it did or not. We can't send people out to look for them. We just have to wait and hope they come back." Falco tried to calm everyone's nerves, however Miyu didn't buy it.

"And if they don't come back?" She asked fearfully, the idea of Fox dead filled her mind as she tried not to cry.

"We'll wait, give it more time I'm sure they'll be back soon."

"How can you know? Perhaps they're dead…" Fay let aloud as everyone began to panic. What if the poodle was right? What if Fox and Katt were now dead? Their leader let alone a fifth of their group gone. How would they get out alive? Who would lead this band of survivors? If that were the case, perhaps giving in and ending it yourself was the best option.

"Don't say that! They're alive." Falco tried to be optimistic as Fay looked to him.

"We don't know that. We don't know anything. All we know is that in time, we'll all die. What's the point of going on?" While others just listened to Fay, Luna had enough. She marched toward the white canine and smacked her a good one across the face.

"Luna what are you doing!?" Krystal tried to get the she-wolf off of Fay but was batted away.

"Look." She forced the poodle to stare directly into her eyes, as everyone just watched. "I am sorry for what happened to Bill. We all are, but he didn't give up his life so you could give up so easily! Don't let his sacrifice be in vain!"

And with those words, Luna stepped off and walked away. Fay took into her friends' comforting words, as she tried to regain her mental spirit. She was right, Bill paid the ultimate sacrifice to keep his friends, and his love for Fay alive. She couldn't just give in and take her own life, not with him being gone after saving hers. Fay said nothing, she simply nodded and wiped away the last of her tears.

Krystal changed the subject. "So what's the best way on getting out of here? If we decide we should leave."

"With as many of us as there is, I don't think any one of our cars can take everyone out of here." Falco gave the reasoning as they went on with the debate.

"And taking two cars and essentially separating us isn't a good idea." Fara spoke up.

"So what should we do?" That was the magical question they all needed to answer. Fox would come back sooner or later, and when he did the vulpine was expecting a plan to be thoroughly thought out. That's when Luna came up with the magical answer, and snapped her fingers.

"I got it!" The she-wolf had a lightbulb moment, "We should take the hovercraft the school uses for long distance sport games for the basket and baseball teams." Everyone around her began to smile slowly, as it was a genius idea. Not only would they get out of here, but they would be safe in the sky once they left. Now they only had to work out some of the more minor details…

"Okay. So how do we do that?" Falco pondered as Luna kept thinking, bringing mental images alive in her mind as she went on aloud.

"The hovercraft is under the basketball court of the new gym…They release it by using a key and timing two buttons together and the floor slowly separates…The roof then automatically divides as the platform of the hovercraft begins to rise toward the roof…" Luna paused for a moment as she looked to her group of friends for the answer.

"So what we need to do is find the key, go to the new gym, eliminate all the dead inside, and reach the platform ascending for the roof before it's out of reach. Then we just fire it up and take off."

"I don't suppose you know how to pilot it?" Krystal asked as she rolled her eyes.

"I do actually." Luna gave a sly smile as she surprised her blue vixen friend. "My dad has a hovercraft given to him from his job, he showed me how to pilot it on rare occasions."

"My mistake."

"There's only one flaw with that plan." Falco said aloud as he got the whole groups attention. "Well two actually. One, that plan is going to create so much noise, there's no telling how many of the zombies it's going to attract before we actually pull it off, and two. There's still the issue with Slippy." Falco looked to their toad friend as his eyes were still closed.

"We'll only have once chance to pull it off, it has to be absolutely flawless. And there's another problem." Luna stopped short of words as everyone looked to her again, to explain the rationale behind this plan.

"The key to open the platform is most likely the key to also pilot the hovercraft. We could set it so the platform is steady for a short time, but then we would have to run back to turn it back on for it to rise into the air again."

"So we really do have to catch the platform before it's out of reach."

"Yes. It's also going to take a while before it fires up ready for takeoff. We have to be absolutely on guard, protecting Slippy, the hovercraft, and ourselves until we have risen high enough into the air out of their reach."

"Is anyone else thinking about where we are going to get this key?" Fara said aloud as it stunned all of them. It was such a beautiful, surefire plan they hadn't even thought about where to acquire the key needed for it. "I mean where would we even begin to look for it?"

"We're in the teacher's lounge." Falco said as he and everyone else looked around for anything in the shape of a key. "Wouldn't it be in here?"

"No." Luna said as she thought again. "The teacher who pilots the hovercraft would have it…That was the welding teacher!" Luna looked back to Amanda as her face was full of exhilaration. "Amanda didn't we get a key ring from the welding shop!?"

"We got two actually." The pink frog dug through Slippy's bag, as he was the one who held onto such supplies. She gave them both to the she-wolf as Luna looked over them.

"This is it!" Luna said excitedly as she held the key to their future, and their very lives. It was a good thing they were taking anything and everything that they might have found useful. "This is the key to the hovercraft, and to the switchbox for the gym controls."

"And this is the best plan?" Krystal asked aloud to her friends. "Staying in the school, or perhaps another method of transportation isn't better?"

"This is the only plan that we can all escape together." Luna gave her two cents as they looked toward one another. "We know what to do and have what we needed. Now all that's left is to wait on Fox and Katt and come up with a strategy to get there. No other method is going to give us the highest probability of survival that I'm sure of."

"Alright." They were so distracted from their conversation that when the small knock to their door came it completely frightened all of the teens. Many of them reached for their weapons as Falco peaked out the crack.

"Falco, open up quickly those things are starting to come closer. I brought more survivors." Fox said through the door as quietly as he could. Falco motioned for his friends to help break down the barricade, and opened the door enough for everyone to slip through. Fox came in first and then Katt, then another and another until all eight of the beings now joined the rest of the group.

"Thank you so much." Jessie hugged the avian as Falco was completely stunned. He had never seen this side of the 'Mega Bitch' Jessie Grey and frankly never believed he would. He slowly hugged her back, trying to give comfort to somebody he never thought he would.

"You seriously brought them with you?" Krystal sounded offended as Fox turned to her with an angered look.

"Listen to me. This is not worth some stupid grudge okay, we are not going to leave people to die when we can save them, and use their help."

He then turned toward the brown vixen Jessie with the same harsh stare. "Put your differences aside and work together. You don't have to like each other, you just have to survive alongside one another."

Surprisingly there wasn't much of a debate about the matter. Krystal looked toward the recently sobbing eyes of Jessie Grey, someone she could fully said she disliked, distrusted, and borderline hated. But she knew that it wasn't right to leave someone to die, especially in such a horrible way. Jessie and Krystal stood up to one another, and shook hands as the two exchanged gentle nods.

Fox looked toward Falco as he held the same distrustful look. "Wolf and his friends agreed to cooperate and help us. We have a bigger group, a stronger party. Make up."

"Okay." Was all Falco said as he and Wolf stepped up next to one another. The lupine was the first to offer his hand, as Falco unwillingly brought his arm up, and the two met in the middle. Fox looked to Panther as he caught the jungle cat's attention, and looked toward one another. The vulpine and the jungle cat were next to shake hands, and a unilateral agreement, a pack among survivors had been made.

"Fox." The vulpine turned toward Luna who approached his opposite side. "We came up with a plan on how to get out of here."

"Great, now let's figure out a strategy on how to execute it."

"What did you find out at the gate?" Krystal asked, trying to be hopeful that Fox would give her some kind of life-granting answer. But to no avail.

"Trust us, we can't stay here much longer." Fox looked outside as Sol was starting to descend, it was getting later and later in the day. And they definitely needed to leave and come up with a plan before night fell upon them.

"So what's the plan?" Wolf stepped up as the large group of teens gathered around in a circle. Wolf and his friends didn't like bringing Slippy along, they didn't find the sanity in bringing along someone who had been bit. But it was Fox and his groups call, and at the moment they had to do what they said if everyone wanted to get out of here alive.

Fox went through the supplies: Six nail bombs, four Molotov cocktails, two nail guns, more than enough crowbars and metal bats for everyone, rope, five empty water bottles, a few pieces of clothing, a few smaller more miscellaneous supplies, and of course the big boy weapons that Fox and Falco each carried…leaving those out of the loop from Wolf and his friends.

"This is what we'll do." Fox laid out his plan as everyone gathered around to listen. "We will leave for the new gym as one giant group. I will tie Slippy to me and carry us both. We'll handcuff his arm and gag his mouth just in case." Fox peered all through the teens as they were scared, not just for themselves, but what could happen their vulpine leader as well if Slippy woke up not himself.

"Wolf, Katt, Luna, and I will lead the front of the group." Fox began to lay out the formation. "We will move as three groups staying close in a tight formation. The middle will be held by Krystal, Fara, Amanda, Natasha, Narine, and Jessie. The rear guard will be held by Panther, Leon, Falco, Miyu, and Fay. Everyone will take a bat or a crowbar. Falco will take charge of Slippy's nail gun. My group will carry the supplies on our back, with Wolf carrying my bag."

"Okay." Wolf simply coed.

"We need to be as conservative of our supplies as possible. Once we get to the new gym and start the process, we're going to need _everything_ to keep them at bay long enough to get out of here."

"Are you sure about tying Slippy to you?" Falco questioned this part of the plan as Fox looked to him.

"It's a risk I'm willing to take. If I don't someone else will have to carry him and we need everybody to fight."

"Alright, let's hope this works."

"Suit up." Everyone quickly scrambled in formation, as Falco and Wolf helped keep Slippy glued to Fox with literal glue of their two shirts. They tied the rope tightly around as Fox positioned the toad in a way that gravity would pull the rope upward against his chest to keep him balanced. They used another shirt to tie his upper back against Fox's chest, keeping Slippy stable and motionless, so long as Fox didn't react too suddenly. They used the handcuffs to cuff his left hand to through the loop in Fox's shorts, and only covered Slippy's mouth with a type of bandana with a minor gag so he could still breathe through his mouth if need be.

The vulpine would have taken two bats in his hands, but figured he would need a single arm to support Slippy just in case. Instead Wolf took a second bat as the two would primarily be the ones clearing the way, along with Katt's single bat, and Luna's fireman's axe. Fox took one last look back to all his friends in the large three part group. They were about to brave the unknown, face certain death right in the eyes. This could very well be the last moment he would see some of them alive, for any of them. If they failed there would be no escape.

"Let's go." Fox gave the order as Falco opened the door completely unblocked from their barricade. A few zombies stood outside as the front guard went out and went to work. Wolf, Katt, and Luna each took care of one as Fox motioned the rest of them to move through.

"I'm scared." Natasha gave in a meek tone.

"I saw you on the softball team." Krystal tried to compliment the white furred vixen. "Just think of these things as another ball needing to be smacked."

"Thanks…I'll try."

"Cut the chatter, we need to move quickly and quietly." Fox interrupted as he joined the rest of the teens in the front guard. They headed through the hallway Fox and Katt originally saw the large group of zombies as another half dozen occupied the area. They moved to eliminate the threat, each of the teens bringing down another one of these monsters as they went through the area as quickly as they could. So far so good.

The teens turned the corner into the hallway Fox and Katt saw the area of the gate. The vulpine looking to his right noticing it was still packed full of those things walking about. So long as they don't attract a large group of dead before they reached the gym, they figured they would be fine. Fox stopped in place as he saw about four beings walking in the direction perpendicular to where they were headed. They weren't going after them, they were going after…

"Let's go!" Fox figured another group of survivors was around the corner as he brought down another zombie, Wolf doing the same using each bat to smash the skull in of a former student of Shooting Star High. They turned to the corner to see four adults about to be swarmed by the dead. The Great Dane gym teacher Coach Hedrick held the English teacher, a white vixen Mrs. Laister as the other two adults tried to keep the zombies off of them. Sly Cyphers, the raccoon school counselor and Mr. Jay a black feline chemistry teacher batted the zombies off, but there would soon be too many of them.

"Falco, Amanda fire!" Their leader ordered as the two took aim and fired at will. Bringing down the zombies closest to the teachers as everyone else charged. They must have smacked around a dozen skulls in as blood gushed from their broken heads, and the bodies slumped to the ground. Before the teachers knew it all the zombies had been eliminated, and looked up to see kids as their savior.

"Fox." Coach Hedrick was in disbelief that the teen was still alive. As Fox kneeled down to see Amanda Laister bit, wounded, and in pain.

"Is she…"

"She's still alive." She could see the two beings talking about her fate, her very life. "I just couldn't leave her to be torn apart."

"It's okay, we'll see what we can do." Coach and student both stood up at the same time, as he carried the wounded vixen in his arms. "What happened to the students from gym?"

"They're all dead…" Hedrick let out slowly, as the vulpine could tell the adult was having a hard time not blaming himself for the death of so many young ones under his watchful eye. "We were heading to our evacuation point when we were suddenly swarmed. Everyone was dying, being torn apart around me left and right." He looked to the younger vulpine in the eyes as a tear started to bead down his face.

"I ran like a coward, I knew I couldn't do anything so I just left them for dead."

"It's okay coach." Fox tried to comfort his teacher, as the burdens of his sin's weighed heavy on his still average sized heart. "We're going to leave the school, we have a plan, come with us."

"Of course."

"Stay in the middle of the group. Mr. Cyphers, Mr. Jay, watch the rear guard."

"Okay Fox." Sly and Mr. Jay both went to the back as Fox continued to lead on, their group now even bigger. They continued to march through the school as the rest of the way was mostly cleared. Fox let Wolf, Falco, and Luna take lead as they descended downstairs and toward the stairs that would lead them toward the gym via a secluded pathway. After the coast was clear everyone marched down the two sets of stairs one after another, with Falco being the last closing the door behind him.

"Go." Everyone listened to the vulpine's command as they all gathered at the end of the secluded hallway, after opening the door all they would need to do is run up the stairs and clear any zombies that are around the opening toward the gym.

"Get ready." Fox said as he looked to Wolf, who was at the front of the group ready to open the door whenever told, as he grasped the nob tightly the sweat beating down his neck. "Go!"

On command Wolf opened the door, to see about a dozen zombies turn their heads toward the sound, and start approaching the group. The large group of survivors formed a curved wall of defense, as they batted all the zombies down one by one that approached, until none was left standing.

"Falco, Amanda, take lead with the front guard and keep those pathways cleared."

"Right." The two followed Fox's orders as they went with the front guard and opened the doors into the large gym and auditorium for school assemblies, as well as home games for basketball. There weren't many zombies all around them as the group split into two, going down both sets of stairs on the left and right side of the building. Only about a dozen beings throughout the entire building were wandering around, and were quickly beaten and taken care of as the large group gathered around on the left side, where the switch box for the hovercraft was left unscathed. Of course it was empty, Coach Hedrick gave the call for the students to leave the gym, only for most of them to die. It seemed as though Falco was initially right, a smaller group was the key to their survival.

"How long does this thing take coach?" Fox asked the adult as he carefully set down Mrs. Laister, and looked to the vulpine.

"It takes a good couple of minutes Fox. The platform doesn't rise up that fast so that isn't the problem. The problem is going to be defending the area long enough for us to be out of reach of those things."

"We have enough supplies, trust us." Fox tried to smile as his teacher did as well.

"Of course Fox, I trust your judgment. So how should we do this?"

"You and Luna should activate the switch box, and as soon as the hovercraft shows itself we all run for it. Luna will unlock the ship and begin firing it up while everyone gets on the platform and takes a stance all around, to defend the ship while it warms up."

"We have no idea how many of these thing are going to pour into the building…Or if there are even some in the locker rooms."

"It's a risk we have to take." Fox gave the adult a stern look, they had made it this far. It was time to initiate the final stages of the plan.

"Okay, we can do this." Luna took the keys as she quickly unlocked the switch box. By the primary switch box being unlocked, the secondary switch box automatically unlocks as well. Hedrick ran for the secondary box, his finger hovering over the blinking green button as she looked to Luna. She in turned looked to Fox, on his order.

"I got you Amanda." Sly picked up the wounded teacher as she gave a half-hearted smile through the pain, and the infection eating away at her.

"Thank you hon."

"Fara, Krystal, once we get to the platform help take Slippy off of me so I can help defend the hovercraft. Amanda your main focus is going to be using the Molotov and nail bombs, give your nail gun over to Coach Hedrick or Krystal. Everyone remembers their stance on the platform correct?"

"Wolf's group on the left side, Fox's group on the right and center sides. Move according to where the threat is coming from."

"Correct. Everyone, get ready." Fox said aloud as everyone calmed their nerves, and prepared for the worst. This is it, everything has led up to this moment. All those who had died, and the atrocities the survivors had to commit to keep on living. This was the moment of the hour, and this very moment would define their young lives. Would they live, or would they die? Who would fly out of here alive, and who would be left for dead?

"Go!" The plan was now executed, and there was no going back. Hedrick and Luna pressed their buttons at the same time as the gym began to break apart, and the floor slowly retreating back under the bleachers. The very loud sound of machinery went off as Hedrick quickly ran back toward the group, now they played the waiting game impatiently.

"Come on come on!"

"We got company from the locker rooms!" Falco yelled as he and Amanda took stance and fired on the zombies running from the locker rooms on the opposite side of the gym. Some went down to the nails while others went down to the floor splitting. Amanda reloaded her clip as Falco finished the rest off and the remainder of his clip. Finally the platform began to show itself, as well as the beautiful, sleek, silver chromed hovercraft. It was bigger than your average passenger class ship, about two and a half times the size. It was the flying equivalent to the ground leveled bus. Four wings arched downward, with one mighty fan-propelled engine in the back side. It had its black and golden colors to match those of the theme colors for the school. Most hovercrafts were not actually used for long distance travel, but this model was a brand new eco-friendly ship that the school only acquired from the last few years. It had other unique features to it as well.

"Everyone go!" Fox yelled as all 20 beings ran for the platform slowly raising into the air. Luna was the first to reach the platform as she used the key to enter the hovercraft immediately, and went to the pilot's seat firing up all the main systems. Krystal and Fara helped take the toad off of Fox's back as he set him down on the stairs leading up into the hovercraft, and handcuffing him to the rail just in case. Sly set Mrs. Laister down on the ground as he took his bat again, and Amanda threw her nail gun to Krystal taking stance with the nail bombs. Now that Hedrick was free of carrying the vixen teacher, he grabbed two metal bats, the same with Fox as they stood in a defensive stance side by side. Student and teacher stood alike, and then joined by Katt.

"Whatever happens Fox, I'm proud of you." Hedrick gave a look of anger toward all the beings coming down the stairs. He had so much pent up rage that the canine needed to get out. It was time to make the bastards pay.

"Thanks coach." Is all Fox gave back as they braced for the attack. Wolf's group was on the left while Fox's, the larger group faced the right toward the stairs. With Falco and Krystal placed on the two centers of the platform rising into the air, and Amanda in back ready to chuck grenades when needed. Teen zombies came down the stairs in large packs, as they ran for the platform.

"Pick them off, buy some time for the platform to raise!" Fox yelled his battle cry as everyone went to work. However the platform was only raising a few inches every 30 seconds. Falco and Krystal picked the zombies off as best as they could, taking a few down before they could reach the platform.

"Bomb out!" Amanda shouted as she tossed a nail bomb with perfect proximity, it blowing up a second after landing, completely shredding all the zombies hit by it in its wake of destruction and death. A few zombies were reaching the platform as the rest of the teens batted and swat them away, crushing their skulls and destroying the brain as they fell over limp. Fox let out his rage on an incoming zombie as he nearly cleaved its head straight off. Hedrick did the same, he was so angry as he used all his might, all his empowering hatred out these bastards that took his students to a horrible end. Wolf's side was mostly cleared, as the only zombies that came from that side were from the locker rooms.

"Keep watching this side, I'm going to help the front!" Wolf yelled to his friends as he ran to the opposite side that was clearly dealing with a large threat. Sunlight from Sol began to pour into the gym as the platform was getting higher and higher, however still not high enough to block the zombies from reaching them.

"Luna how much longer!?" Fox didn't know if the she-wolf could hear him while Luna fiddled around with the mechanics of the craft.

"A few more minutes, hold on!"

"Augh!" Fox let out his hatred and rage as he continued to swat the zombies away one by one. They used everything and anything as the dead kept pouring in, and the body count continued to pile up. Falco and Krystal were nearly out of nails while Amanda was chucking the last of her bombs, but they still kept coming.

"Shit this isn't looking good!" Hedrick kept swinging away, his muscles screaming for him to halt but to stop would mean being grabbed by death. Amanda then got clever, she used her last two Molotov cocktails to create a wall of fire to try and halter the dead's advance on their position. Just as a huge group of zombies were coming down the stairs, she tossed the last nail bomb straight in the center, as blood, limbs, and bodies were exploded from the inside out all around.

"Here!" Falco tossed her the nail gun as it was on its last strip of nails. The avian drew his concealed gun, remembering to switch off the safety as he fired. It was so loud ringing inside the gym it gave a massive startle to everyone around, even himself. They had forgotten he had the gun as Fox made sure not to show his unless absolutely necessary. Falco kept firing off rounds one by one, trying to make every shot count.

"A few more moments that's all!" Luna yelled from the pilot's seat as they could all hear the roar of the hovercraft coming to life. At this point the platform was mostly out of reach, just the last few beings who managed to get through to deal with along with those that could climb up the not so high wall of bodies to reach the students. The blood bath was immense, blood was shooting everywhere all over the front line as the rest of Wolf's group came to join them.

"Back off!" Fox yelled as everyone took a step back, there were far too many of them to deal with now to be right on the edge of the platform. However they would not leave completely unscathed, as the vixen Natasha stood to close to the edge, and a corpse pulled her off of her feet to her backside. She tried to squirm and retreat, however they were much too strong as they all pulled her to the floor, now feasting on her body as she let out a loud and pain-filled scream.

Narine also stood to close to the edge as she was being pulled by the zombies. She held onto Jessie as the two tried to fight to bring her back toward them, while the dead feasted on her calf and she let out a similar scream to Natasha. She held on to dear life as Wolf enveloped Jessie, and Fox ran to their aid. Even with all their strength however, the grasp of death was to strong.

"There's nothing we can do!" Wolf forcibly removed the jungle cat's grip from Jessie, as she was cast away for the dead to feast on as she too screamed in immense pain being torn and eaten alive. After dealing with the last of the zombies that had managed to climb onto the platform, they were finally high enough into the air to be out of reach from the dead.

"Everything's ready!" Luna yelled as most of them heard and looked to each other with huge smiles.

"Sly-" Mrs. Laister tried to get out, before being stabbed in the throat by Mr. Jay, who only held a wicked smile as he yanked the blade out, letting her body fall limp and waiting to die, to drown in her own blood. The raccoon counselor tried to react as he charged the traitor feline teacher. However he ducked under the strike, and also slashed Sly's jugular veins, and smashed his head against plating of the ship.

The entire group was caught completely off guard, they would never guess that someone still alive would commit such crimes against the living. However in situations of extreme circumstances, some people go mad, completely insane as they aren't able to grasp or the reality at hand. He quickly went for Falco who held the gun, and backhanded the avian to the ground, kicking him in the gut and taking the gun. Just as he pulled it up to fire Fox drew his own concealed weapon, and the two entered a standoff.

"I always knew you were smart Mr. McCloud, rather ingenious plan of escape. But I'm not about to babysit a bunch of kids in this new world." He reached for Falco as he pointed the gun to Falco's head, completely at the mercy of what Fox would do next.

"Back off, or he dies as well." The feline killer put pressure against the avian's head, as Fox didn't know what he could do. Everyone gave ground except the vulpine, as his hand only itched wanting to fire and blast this son of a bitch into oblivion.

"I killed two already, don't test me."

"Okay okay!" Fox held up his hands in defense, as he planted the gun on the ground while the teacher gave an evil smirk. In one swift motion he changed the positioning of the gun and fired it straight at Coach Hedrick, right where his heart would be on the upper left side of his chest.

"No!" Fox ran to the Great Dane's side as he held the wound, this wasn't the first time he had been shot, but it was definitely the worst. Mr. Jay walked toward the ramp to the hovercraft as he met eyes with the young teen.

"You almost got away, but only I will live."

"Guess…again." Slippy let out in a weak tone of voice as he had enough strength to trip teacher off balance, as Fox didn't hesitate. The vulpine and the black feline wrestled for dominance over the gun, as Fox managed to swat it out of his hands now on top of him. The teacher may have been older and bigger, but Fox was driven by something other than just the will to live. He was filled with absolute hatred for this being still alive, still untouched by death. He had committed crimes Fox never would have imagined would happen in this new world. He gladly took the lives of those who had managed to escape the bite of death, and he did it with a smile on his face. Fox wasn't about to let him get away with it, he wasn't about to let him live.

The vulpine kneed the teacher in the gut and the crotch so hard he could have sworn ribs had been cracked. While Mr. Jay tended to his wounds the vulpine reached for the gun as he fired it into of his knee caps, the teacher reacting immediately as he let out a massive roar of pain. Fox dragged the teacher of the edge, only about 20 feet up above the zombie beings reaching out for them. Mr. Jay looked back to the vulpine who only gave him hateful eyes, completely void of mercy.

"Please don't, please don't let them kill me!" He begged for his life.

"The fall won't kill you, they will." Fox tossed his body over the edge as he screamed from the fall, immediately after impact was he swarmed by the dead as they feasted upon his flesh. Fox breathed heavy as he turned back to his friends, all of them wearing a horrified look to witness what he just did. He just threw someone still alive for the dead to convert. Amanda tended toward Slippy as she helped him up to his feet, and into the hovercraft.

"Go!" Fox barked and the rest went inside. Falco went for the two weapons and all the supplies that had been dropped during the battle with the dead, and with Mr. Jay. Fox looked toward the three teachers all lying on the ground of the platform still rising into the air. Mr. Cypher and Mrs. Laister were completely motionless, they had bled out and died as Coach Hedrick was holding on to life. Fox dragged the teacher to his feet and into the hovercraft as he laid the Great Dane teacher, the only one left onto the metallic floors of the ship as Fox looked to Luna. They had just about broken the caving of the rooftop.

"Get us out of here."

"Hold on!" Luna took control as their lives were now in her hands. She carefully and skillfully piloted the hovercraft as it came off the platform into the air, and went into the sky higher and higher. She punched it forward as the craft took off into the sky, leaving the few zombies on the roof in the dust. She took off with such velocity that the teens were pushed back into their seats. After a few moments of flying, everyone began to come to mind.

"We did it." Fox couldn't believe it, as he and Luna looked to one another.

"We did."

"We got out alive, thank the Makers." Krystal let go of her breath as she too was astonished. They all were, it was a long shot, taking every risk possible to get out alive. But they managed to do it, however…It wasn't quite time for a celebration.

"How many did we lose?" Fox asked aloud as he took a look around the ship.

"Natasha…and Narine…" Jessie cried as Wolf took her into his arms. "They were just…pulled straight from me." She lost it as her friends were now gone, and she was all alone perhaps in this new world.

"Mr. Cypher and Mrs. Laister didn't make it." Fara let out loud as everyone bowed their heads. They didn't make it, but it wasn't because of the dead. "I can't believe that freak killed them in cold blood."

"Slippy!" Krystal ran to the side of the toad. They were so distraught of everything that happened they didn't even realize he had awakened. Slippy was alive, and smiling. His arm hurt like hell, and he could feel an illness coming of the flu, but he was alive and that's all that mattered. At least for now. While a few of his friends crowded the toad, Fox kneeled down to the teacher as he was trying to control his breathing. They looked toward one another as Fox took the hand Coach Hedrick was struggling to keep up.

"Fox…I'm not going to make it."

"No you will coach." Fox couldn't go through this again, not after Bill, not after everything that had happen in their past. Coach Hedrick was a role model to the vulpine growing up, and he was proud that Fox turned out so well. He knew he would do everything to keep people alive, to inspire hope toward a new day.

"I'm…proud of you Fox. Keep doing…what you're doing. I know you'll get everyone out…alive…"

"Coach?" Fox asked as the Great Dane became unresponsive. With his final breath let go, and his head slumped. Fox look into his blue eyes as the life slowly left them. It was clear that Hedrick was now gone, taken to a place far away, a place peaceful from this new reality of their lives. Everyone was in a stunned horror as Fox bowed his head, letting a few tears fall as he closed the teacher's eyes. A brave soul who gave up everything for the teens, taken from them from the will of a wicked man now dead.

"We lost six people." Falco let out aloud for everyone to hear. All four teachers, as well as Natasha and Narine were gone. The group of 20 beings were down to 14. Slippy managed to pull through, but death certainly left its mark on the group of teens. Fox grabbed a nearby jacket as he placed it over the deceased teacher's face.

"We got out alive, but we lost a lot of people along the way." Fox finally stood back up as he looked to his band of survivors. Their faces showed so many mixed emotions. Happiness for still living, sadness for those who died, guilt for being alive while so many others were dead, and fear of what was coming next.

"Now what?" Katt asked aloud.

"Now we go to my house." Fox gave the answer, it was what they discussed before after all.

"Wait what?" Wolf interjected as he gave Fox a confused look. "Why would we go to your house? What makes your house any better than anyone else's?"

"It's what we agreed on before you joined us Wolf."

"Well now we're here!" He began to argue as the two sides began to form. "Shouldn't we have a democracy and debate whose house is the best to go to!? You're family isn't any more important than the rest of ours!"

"Wolf!" Fox called out the lupine's name as he began to lose his temper. "It's what we agreed on before you joined! Either deal with it, or leave."

"Fox you helped us get out, and I thank you for that. But we can't just go to your home when everyone else's families are also in danger."

"If you don't like it than you can go Wolf."

"I might just do that." The two glared at one another, as Wolf and his friends took his side, and the vulpine's group all to his own. The lupine knew they were outnumbered, they could argue but they wouldn't' be able to fight them all off.

"Take us to our homes."

"Back off Wolf!" Falco pulled the gun onto the lupine to everyone's shock as the opposite group immediately gave ground. "After witnessing what that teacher did I'm not about to stand for another one of those mutiny's!"

"Get that gun out of my face!" Wolf almost screamed, though he did it more with fear instead of intimidation.

"Falco enough!" Fox lowered the avian's arm as the two met one another. Falco didn't know what came over him. After seeing what Mr. Jay did to the three other teachers, and he did it so willingly and with pleasure. It scared the avian, it gave him the shivers and would most likely terrorize him at night when or if he slept. That was a normal being, driven mad by what is happening. There were bound to be more lunatics out there in this new apocalyptic society.

"Look Wolf, if you don't want to go with us then that's fine. But if you don't, you're on your own." Fox warned the lupine one last time.

"I'm sorry Fox, but I can't just forsake my family while we go save someone else's." Wolf made up his mind, shockingly to his own friends and Jessie. "Drop me off as close as you can to my house, and I'll go on my own."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Wolf are you crazy!?" Leon shook the lupine's shirt as they met eyes. "You're going to leave the safety of a large group to go search for your family you don't even know is still around!?"

"Yes. My mom is all I got left." Wolf admitted as he let down his head, and held a hurtful gaze. "If something happened to her…"

"I'm going too." Panther came to his friend's side as they met eyes. "My old man is all alone, and he's old. I'm sorry, thank you for your help. But I can't justify going after someone else's parents while mine are still out there."

"I understand." Fox walked away as Wolf and his group did the same. They would only have about 15 minutes before reaching Fox's home to make up a decision.

"Are you sure we shouldn't mention the supplies at your home to them? That's the entire reason we are going there." Krystal whispered to the vulpine away from Wolf's group. She wasn't comfortable leaving them out of the loop before they committed to their decision. The news of life saving supplies could make all the difference.

"Let them go." Falco argued on Fox's opposite side. "If they want to leave then let them, I don't trust them anyway. Besides there is a limited amount of supplies in that basement, and once its' gone it's gone. Splitting them for more people means less for us."

"Still that doesn't mean we should justify keeping them in the dark, they helped us get away just as much as anybody else did."

"Wolf." Fox called out to the lupine one more time as they looked to one another. "There are supplies at my parent's house, that's why we decided to go there."

"That doesn't interest me Fox." Wolf kept his decision. "We're all going to die eventually, but when I do I want to be with my mom."

"Alright, Luna." Fox called out to their she-wolf pilot. "Take us to Wolf's coordinates."

"Okay, tell him to give them to me." Fox nodded as he looked back to the lupine, and Wolf went to the front to tell Luna where he wanted to go. Fox called out to the rest of Wolf's friends that sat on the floor of the hovercraft.

"We aren't making multiple stops. If you want to stay you can, but if you want to leave you have to go with Wolf."

While Panther only nodded, Leon gave a look of disbelief. He couldn't believe his two friends were willing to go off on their own, with practically nothing for the chance to find their loved ones again.

"Panther come on let's be serious."

"Leon, if you want to stay then stay. But I'm with Wolf. I want to see my dad again before I die." The jungle cat looked away as Leon only let his head sink

"Well…you two are the only friends I've ever had. I guess we stay together and die together."

Panther only smiled as they tried to brighten each other up. Wolf came back from giving the information to Luna and the hovercraft turned around, heading toward his destination only a few minutes away. Wolf went to the brown vixen as they looked to one another, perhaps for the last time.

"So…You're leaving?" Jessie asked as Wolf gave a small smile.

"I am, I need to see my mom and make sure she's alright."

"I understand."

"I wouldn't hold it against you if you wanted to stay with them, probably safer."

"I don't know…I think I'll join you." Wolf's face changed as he was completely shocked.

"Really?"

"Yea, you don't live that far away from my own home. Besides…" Jessie stood up as she looked to the rest of the teens in their large group, talking, and even some were smiling. "I don't belong with them, they wouldn't trust me."

"Alright, if you're sure."

"I'm sure." She gave Wolf a small smile. "We'll stay together."

"Thank you." Is all the two shared words for now. Minutes later they neared Wolf's destination as Luna called out to them.

"Alright, this is our stop." She kept the hovercraft airborne, completely still as Wolf and his friends prepared to exit.

"Wolf." Fox stood to him carrying three bags, as well as one of the guns. "You'll need this. Careful when you use it, the only bullets left are in the clip."

"Thank you Fox." Wolf took the bags as he handed one to each of his friends, and took the gun from the vulpine. Fox was surprised that Jessie was leaving with them.

"You're not going to stay?"

"I'm not Fox." She admitted, as they spoke for perhaps the last time in this world. "I know your friends don't trust me, and I don't blame them. I have to go where I feel like I'm most safe, and that's with Wolf. Good luck…"

"Good luck to you as well Jessie…" Fox was a bit sad, it was hard to say goodbye to someone when you didn't know when you would next see them, or if you would ever see him again. She took his hand in her own, giving the vulpine comfort thoughts as she gave him a small peck on his cheek, wiping away some of the blood.

"You're a strong leader, I know you'll keep everyone safe. Goodbye Fox." She let go of his hand as the door hung open, and Wolf and his friends jumped out. Jessie looked to the vulpine one last time with a small smile, before she turned around and also jumped out of the hovercraft. Fox watched all four of them go and headed into Wolf's home, just before the hovercraft's door swung closed again and took to the skies.

"You gave away half of our supplies." Falco said aloud in an annoyed tone.

"Not nearly half." Fox looked back to his friend. "The gun had four bullets in it, you think that's going to matter in the long run? I gave them two empty water bottles and a few of the crowbars and metal bats. Now that our group is cut in half, we don't need that many."

"Anything could be the difference in a survival situation Fox."

"We couldn't send them on their way with nothing. We had to give them something as their share of getting out alive."

"Well what's done is done. Let's go." Falco called out to their pilot as Luna nodded.

"It won't take long." Luna took to the skies once more as she headed for their original destination of Fox's home, into the flourishing rays of Sol as it was descending to head into the night.

 _Author's Notes_

 _I'm going to take a break from Hit The Mark for a while and work on these side projects._

 _Take it Easy_

 _Zythxx_


	5. Safe Haven

The ride to Fox's home was silent, well at least as silent as it could be considering this hover craft flying through the air as they all tried to say nothing. Some looked over Slippy, he was alive but must have been in quite a bit of pain. Krystal got the idea of finding the first aid kit on the craft, and found some pretty strong pain medicine for the toad. However he waved it off for now, until they were going to be in a truly safe area, he needed to be sharp and alert to the best of his ability.

Fox sat in the co-pilot's seat watching the she-wolf as she flew them through the air smoothly. "You sure know you're way around this thing. Good thing we ran into you, would have been much more dangerous to go out here in cars."

"I know what you mean. What was the school doing with something like that?" Luna multitasked as she fiddled around with some of the extra features this thing had, some features a school vehicle would never have any use for.

"What do you mean?"

"This thing has a 'Silent-Fly' Mode along with an active camouflage system!"

"Really?" Fox sounded interested, and with good reason. This craft was at first a tool to for escape in their plans for survival, however it could be much more valuable than that.

"Yea, it can also self-recharge, and there are all kinds of extra systems a school would never need. What the hell were they doing with this thing? It must have been grossly expensive."

"If I recall Jessie's dad Ash bought it for them, he usually donates a large sum of funds every year."

"That would explain it, anyway I'm going to engage both so we don't attract attention. Who knows what other kind of crazy lunatics are out here, after that teacher I want to take every means we can to keep everyone alive and safe."

"Go for it." Fox agreed as Luna engaged the systems, making the engine go nearly silent and turning the vehicle invisible to blend in with the sky almost perfectly. "You said this thing can self-recharge? Will it recharge even with the camouflage engaged?"

"It will to some extent. Not a lot, but over a long period of time it would eventually catch up and get a full battery."

"Perhaps we should do that. If we park this thing with no cover, it's going to attract a lot of attention to other survivors. We don't have the means to save everybody, and we certainly don't want to attract the attention of looters and other violent types of people."

"You're right, I'm going to keep the camouflage system activated, and we'll check it out later once we get the situation tonight settled."

"Thanks again." The two looked toward one another smiling for a split second, before Luna took her eyes back to the sky. Krystal noticed them from far away, as she didn't like how close the two were getting. It was understandable to be jealous in even a normal circumstance. But when virtually anybody she would meet in the future would be dead or crazy? Fox was that much more valuable.

"Makers." Fara let out as she grabbed everyone's attention. She was staring out the windows of the now nearly invisible ship. Everyone's eyes went wide as this was the first time they really paid any attention on what was happening on the outside of the school. Smoke rose high into the air from many different parts of the city. Fires were practically everywhere, and they could even see some people running in all sorts of different directions, along with multiple shots going off in all kinds of different areas of the scene.

"This is crazy." Falco was the first to verbally speak. "It's like a warzone down there, fighting and killing is everywhere!"

"And we're right in the middle of it all." Slippy spoke for the first time in quite a while, as he too looked outside the window. They even saw some scenes of people fighting and shooting amongst themselves, a common scene in a world where survival is only for the strongest. Those who can fight and defend themselves are the only ones who deserve to live.

"Makers people are even shooting at each other!" Katt noticed as there was a firefight between two parties somewhere down there in all that chaos.

"The world is insane." Fox came to all of them as he got their attention, he too looking down among all the chaos, all the anarchy taking place. "We are sure to run into more crazy beings as time goes by. Who knows who we can trust, perhaps we can only trust each other." He spoke before heading back to Luna leaving them all with his two cents. Perhaps he was right, this new world was filled with dangerous beings, and unpredictable people. Who knows they could trust, perhaps no one was left but themselves.

"We'll be there in just a minute." Luna called out to them as they were starting to approach the neighborhoods Fox's house resided in. Everybody mentally prepared themselves, as well as grabbed their things awaiting the eerie flight to his home. Luna touch-downed in Fox's backyard, as she shut off all unnecessary power and options, however keeping the active camo engaged and turning the self-recharge function on.

"Fox." Katt looked to her friend as he held a solemn look, it looked as though he was already preparing himself for what she was going to say. "I just wanted to say…"

"I know." He gave her as he looked to the ground. "I'm not expecting anything…I think I'm…prepared." Fox looked to his avian friend with a pleading look.

"Falco…Why don't you take the lead into my house?" Falco new what his friend was asking. If Fox's parents were here…and they had changed, the vulpine didn't want to be the first person to see how they were now. He didn't want to see it ever at all, and so Falco nodded as he took hold of their only gun.

"Okay."

"This is how we'll do it." Fox looked to his band of survivors as he spoke. "Let's scout the house first…make sure there isn't anyone here who isn't supposed to be, dead or alive. Once we've came to that conclusion, we'll make our way to my basement."

"What about Hedrick?" Miyu pointed out about the dead teacher, his body lying in the corner of the hovercraft. "Are we just going to leave him here?"

"Fox." Before the vulpine could answer, he looked back to his toad friend who struggled to stand. "We can't leave him here, it's too risky. We don't know anything about what's causing this, or if he won't turn in the future. He wasn't bit, but it's possible he's still infected, we could all be infected." Slippy's final words scared all of them as all the teens took a mental step back to soak it all in. If they were all infected and would turn when they die…Then what was the point in going on? It could possibly not matter at all how they died…They could all be walking dead in the end.

"We know nothing about what causes people to turn, we can't just leave him here in the hovercraft to surprise the next one of us who comes in."

"You're right, we'll put him in the corner near the shed for now." Fox walked over to carry the dead teacher, as they enacted upon his plan. At the count of three Falco lead them all out of the invisible craft, securing the perimeter while Fox went to place the deceased teacher in the shade by his toolshed. Once they made sure the backyard was clear, Luna closed the entrance to the hovercraft, and took the key with her. It would still self-charge even after the key is no longer in the ignition.

No words were needed next as they went on with the next part of the plan. Fox took a deep breath as he mentally prepared himself, for whatever lies inside.

"It'll be okay." Krystal tried to give the man to calm his nerves, as he smiled back to her trying to be positive.

"I'm sure."

"Let's go." Falco spoke as he led the way, entering the home slowly and quietly as everyone followed him one-by-one. Katt was the last to enter as she closed the door behind them, locking it and closing the blinds to keep intruder eyes out. They turned on all the lights, staying in the living room as Fox spoke quietly incase anything could hear them.

"Scout the house, stay close to one another. Slippy and Amanda stay here, Fay and Miyu guard them." Everyone did as they were told as everyone went down the hallway slowly. Some went to the side bathroom while others the laundry room attached to the garage. They went step-by-step, trying to be silent as they turned on all the lights. Falco held the doorknob leading to Fox's parent's bedroom, as he kicked the door open pointing the gun to anybody or anything that threatened him. After scanning the room, did he come to the conclusion it was empty.

Fox nodded as he looked to his friend, and they continued to scout the rest of the house. Fara and Krystal found the garage to be empty of any and all beings, while Fox scanned his own bedroom, the guest bedroom, and the rest of the side hallway in their one-story home. They all came back to the living room together again, as Fox spoke quietly.

"Looks like nobody is home…I don't know if that's a good or bad thing."

"Perhaps they're already in the bunker." Fara gave as Fox nodded.

"Everyone follow me, turn off all the lights. It's going to get dark soon and we don't want people to know we're here. Whether they mean us no harm, or not." Everyone did as Fox gave the command, and they followed him toward a door within the hallway that connected the garage to the rest of the home, in the middle of the laundry room. Fox pushed on a few hidden spots on the wall, as the wall slowly slid within inside itself, and the others watched in amazement.

At a first glance it looked as though nothing important was in here, just the hot water heater and a few shelves for extra storage. But then they all noticed a doorway in the back, and it seemed as though it had no way of opening the door. Fox pulled out a keycard tucked inside of the spaces of the shelving between the woodened board and the wall, as he presented it to the door for it to beep and accept the card, without even showing whatever kind of scanner needed to use the card.

One last test was needed as a small keypad slid out of the walling from the side, and presented itself to the vulpine. Fox pressed in the 10 digit code, not verbally announcing it to his friends as the keypad accepted his input, and the door slowly slid open.

"It's dark, meaning nobody should be inside." Fox quietly gave as he pulled out a flashlight from his bag and held it up, turning on the light that would shine the pathway before them. "I've never been in here, keep close and be prepared for anything."

"Okay." Falco was the only one to give a verbal response as one-by-one the teens descended down the stairwell into the hidden basement. Fox took the gun from Falco, just in case. They finally came to the end of the stairs as all the teens stood there in silent darkness, prepared for anything that might present themselves to them.

Suddenly all the lights began to stir awake, as one by one they illuminated the contents of this basement safe-house. The loud sounds of the lights coming on frightened the agitated teens as they all held a stance of defense. However no danger presented themselves to them. After several moments they all calmed down, noticing at the very end of this hidden facility a large screen started to blink on and off, waiting for an input command. The teens slowly started to walk toward it, as they took the entire site in.

This hidden basement was absolutely huge, over twice the size of the ground flooring of Fox's home. It had a huge shower accommodation area, similar to showers are in school locker rooms. There was a huge stockpile of food and other goods in one corner of the facility, as some of the teens eyed the military rations, but held off the hunger for now. Fox looked to his left to see many different types of weapons hanging along the walls, and some even presented in stands. Some were old, some were new, and some looked absolutely ancient as the vulpine remembered at one point his father collected ancient weapons. There was even a smaller living and sleeping quarter with a dozen rolled up sleeping bags, and perhaps stands to make makeshift beds as well. There would also be plenty of space to walk about, stretch their legs and alike for however long they decided to stay down here. As Fox looked to the supplies, it seemed as though they would have enough to last quite a while.

Fox finally arrived to the large screen, as he pressed a single button and an image of his father popped up, preparing for his message to give to his son, or whoever else found their way down here.

"Dad." Fox was almost amazed as he saw his father again.

"Fox, this is a pre-recorded message." James started killing the fire in Fox's eyes. He was so happy to see his father again, the way he was…He never thought James and him would cross paths again…at least not the way that he once was. James cleared his throat in the recording as he went on.

"If you have found your way to the bunker, then that means some kind of planetary, or even system wide conflict has started, and the lives you once knew are over." James took a pause as he imagined Fox and whoever he brought along with him needed to be told this here and now.

"Either a war…Or perhaps some kind of planet-wide epidemic has unfolded. If you remember from your studies, perhaps something like the Black Death has spread again, and is killing people off left and right. Either way, you have found your way to this basement shelter, and I'm proud of you for making it this far, saving yourself, and whoever you could bring along."

Fox let his head fall down as he was chocked back with emotion, Luna giving him comfort as she put a hand on his shoulder. The rest of the kids were just as blown away, looking to James as he went on.

"In this bunker Fox, you will find many things you'll need to keep on with your survival. I stocked this place with enough supplies to last a long time, as in my line of work. I knew something like this may happen. I trained you to use a weapon for a reason, as you will encounter the most dangerous people in this time. People will show their true colors, and do whatever necessary to survive. You must do the same. There is fresh water to drink, showers to use, first aid for those who need it, enough food and military rations to last a while, and of course: Weapons and ammunition to defend yourselves."

"Jeez Fox." Falco gave out as he took it all in. "Your dad was some kind of survival nut! But I mean he was right, look at this place." Falco called out to all their friends and took a look around, many smiling and shedding tears of joy. It seems after all they had been through, a safe haven was presented to them…For now.

"Fox, the one thing I want you to be absolutely clear about, is don't worry about your mother and I." James took a pause as Fox looked to his father, tears threatening to break out of his eyes. After all his time of being strong for his friends, he wasn't able to keep it together and keep strong as James said the realest, and saddest of words.

"The world has gone to hell, and you can't be chasing after your mother and I. You can't be looking for anybody out there, wondering if we are still alive when the world is deadly to go outside of. Trust me on this, if you come here with any of your friends, their parents want the same as we do for you. We want you to live on, and take care of yourself. Don't worry about us, a parent's job is to sacrifice everything for their child's safety…Even our very lives." Many of the kids began to break down, the world was cruel and unfair. Of course they knew James was right to some extent, but that didn't make it any less painful. Some kids cherished their family over anything else, and with good reason. It was hard to be told that nobody else was as important as them, even their own parents. Fox wiped away his tears as James let one fall himself, wiping it away quickly.

"Please Fox…Stay in this bunker as long as you can. Don't go outside unless absolutely necessary. We, along with all your friends' parents can take care of ourselves. Don't go outside until you are trained, and prepared. If you go outside, with no proper training to hone your combat skills, some of you _will_ die. You don't have enough supplies to last forever…But you should have enough to stay in here for several months. Until you are all trained and ready to face whatever is outside these walls. Stay as long as you can, and once the supplies run out, you'll be ready to survive in this world."

James' message was just about done, as he closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. He prepared to say the final words of this recorded message, along with perhaps the last words Fox will ever hear him speak. Whether it was a recorded message or not.

"This council is plugged into all the major media outlets across the planet. You'll be able to see the news on the situation as long as the broadcasts continue…You can do a lot of things with it, but you may not know how or what to do. Just stay in here Fox until you are ready. I would be quiet at all times, this bunker is supposed to be sound proof, but I've never had the luxury to test it out. I love you my son…Stay alive, and good luck."

The message ended, and the screen went to its main screen awaiting an input command. The teens gave the vulpine his space, as he was told a lot in little time. Fox wiped away his tears, as he looked to them all. Many of them wondered how he could be so composed, how he kept his spirits high despite being told to basically forget his parents. Perhaps the vulpine was born with some kind of undying spirit to keep moving forward, as James always told about them. Or perhaps…Over time James was conditioning Fox to act this way, in case a time ever came he would need to be a leader in a harsh world.

"Listen to me." Fox spoke looking out to his friends. "10 minutes that's it. Grab anything and everything we might find useful upstairs. The food, clothes, sheets and blankets, anything. Once we got everything we turn off all the lights, and conceal ourselves down here. If anybody or anything enters the house by force, we don't want to give them a reason to get _cozy_."

"What about Slippy." Falco spoke as they the two locked eyes. "We don't know anything about this…it's dangerous to leave him unguarded."

"Falco!" Fox was about to interject until his friend interfered.

"No Fox he's right…We don't know anything about this disease. Why I'm still alive or how it spreads…Until I show normal signs for an extended period amount of time…I need to be locked up so I can't hurt anybody." Those words stung the vulpine's heart, as he never would think his amphibian friend would attack them without reason. But when you turn…Their very existence was all the reason needed.

"Okay." Fox took the handcuffs from before and chained Slippy to a side-bar in a corner on his one hand, the toad getting comfortable as he took a seat. "I'm sorry Slip."

"Don't worry, I'm sure everything will be fine." Slippy tried to be positive, talking about his very life as Fox only gave a nod, and looked back to the rest of his friends as he stood up.

"Amanda watches over Slippy. The rest of us fan out and get whatever you think will be useful. Once that door closes, we won't be opening it again. Let's go." They all ran upstairs and turned on the lights for the final time. Some went to the bedrooms to grab blankets, sheets, and pillows while others went to the kitchen to grab any and all food. The teens made multiple trips, gathering everything they could in a stockpile in the center of the bunker. Fox and Falco went through the two bedrooms, grabbing all the clothes everybody could wear as the avian was a bit uncomfortable picking up his best friends' mom's night garments. But of course they had other things to worry about than his immaturity.

After gathering the clothes and the food did they branch to other parts of the house. A lot of the ladies grabbed fresh towels to take showers, along with other things from the guest bedroom while Fox and Falco went to the garage, looking for anything and everything they could find. The McCloud family had a second freezer in the garage, putting excess food to be frozen and keep good while they went through their pantries first. They grabbed the frozen foods of bread and meats to completely clear it out, as Fox went through the other things in his dad's garage. He always was angry when Fox came in here and messed up his organization, however James wouldn't care now.

Fox grabbed many things. Spare flashlights, extra batteries, some tools to be used for whatever purpose, and the like. He found extra roles of duct-tape, extra water bottles, and a few other things as he headed down the bunker. Once they took one last sweep around the house, now looking like it had been looted and pillaged with everything being bare, they headed down the stairs into the bunker once more. Fox turned off all the lights, and descended into the faint darkness once again.

"Oh my god real food and fresh, fluffy white towels." Katt let out almost a sexual moan as she reached for one of the towels in their huge stockpile. "I never thought I would smell clean linen again."

"Your dad said shower." Krystal perked up as she lifted all the women's spirits. "Oh Makers a hot shower? Sounds like heaven right now."

"I don't think I've ever felt dirtier in my life…" Luna agreed as she looked down to herself, and her ruined clothes stained with other's blood. Falco was about to perk up and crack a smart-ass remark, before Fox put his arm over his beak.

"Why don't you girls freshen up, Falco and I will take care of the sleeping area and try and make something with dinner."

"We're all going to shower at once…Don't you dare peek at us." Fara warned as she glared at the two men.

"You think with all of this going around you wouldn't threaten to kill me if I saw your chest."

"Still…Just don't please."

"Of course." Fox only agreed as he turned around. He headed over to Amanda as he kneeled down to their height. "Go ahead, I'll look over him."

"Thank you." Amanda gave a kiss onto Slippy's forehead as she joined the rest of the girls. Fox looked to Slippy as they both smiled.

"You did it Fox. You got us all here safely…"

"Who I could at least…Bill died but the rest of us are okay. Thank you Slippy, I could never have done it without your genius with the bombs and the guns."

"We all do our parts." The two smiled to one another. "Could you get me some water?"

"Of course." While Fox did that, Falco laid out all the sleeping bags, trying to not look as the girls were undressing for their group shower. It was hard though, the shower area was literally right next to their beds…And they were glass see-through walls. He laid out all the sleeping bags, assuming the girls would sleep together and the guys would as well. 10 sleeping bags in total. The avian then laid out all the clothes they could find, putting the women's…or Fox's mom's clothes on their sleeping bags, and James' on their own. They would have to find something to wear for Slippy and Amanda, as their amphibian bodies weren't close enough to share with Fox's vulpine parents like the rest of them.

Fox looked over the food they had found in the house first, a good chunk of it was raw meat and needed to be cooked up and eaten before it went bad, as there was no refrigerator or freezer units down here. They also had a gallon and a half of milk, along with some fresh veggies that would go bad soon. This bunker had an oven, a microwave, and other cooking appliances down here built into the wall, as the vulpine wondered what his dad was thinking needing these things. However James proved to be right regardless. Fox found the medical station next to the rations, as it was bigger and more sophisticated than what you would find in a school nurse's office. He took the aid kid to Slippy, and laid it out for the toad to look at.

"There, this is an anti-biotic." Slippy pointed to the syringe with a green liquid-like substance, as he looked to the toad for next instruction. Find the vain in my arm…And inject it into me.

"Okay I'll try…" Fox was nervous as he looked to Slippy's crippled arm.

"Don't worry Fox. I mean this was the worst pain I've ever experienced…Not like that should be a surprise. You chopping my damn arm off…"

"I'm sorry."

"Fox I was joking." The two shared a meek laugh. "You saved my life…For now at least."

"Here I go." Fox warned the toad as he stuck the needle in, slowing pushing down on the lever as Slippy barely felt a thing.

"See? Nothing to it."

"Anything else?"

"Yea…Give me some of those painkillers…" Slippy's face felt flushed as he could feel the liquid going to work in his arm.

"Okay." Fox handed him some of the blue colored, waxy pills and a bottle of water as he held it up to the toad's mouth, taking everything down in one large gulp.

"Thank you Fox."

"No problem Slippy. I'll grab a blanket and let you rest. I'll wake you up when I got dinner prepared." He smiled as Fox got up quickly, running to the center and grabbed a blanket to throw over Slippy.

"We'll be fine Fox." Slippy tried to calm the nerves in his friend, as Fox's posture and face still showed uncertainty. "Now that we've gotten here…We can stay here a long time. I'll do some math on the rations along with the power, but I'm sure we can stay in here for several months, train up, and be ready to fight on the outside surface."

"It's not staying in here that worries me Slippy." Fox admitted, trying to keep his voice quiet so his friends would not overhear them. "It's heading outside. We could stay in here a while, but who's to say we will? I'm sure everyone else is worried about their parent's as well."

"Hopefully we can come to some kind of agreement…Or perhaps everyone will realize staying in here is better than going out too soon. We have to put ourselves over anybody else."

"I know…I just hope everyone else can see it." The two left it at that as Fox went back to the rations area, and started preparing whatever for dinner.

In the shower the girls had their own conversation, however it wasn't over anything survival related. Most of them felt like they were taking a shower in heaven.

"Oh Makers this feels so good…" Krystal let the hot water drip down her naked body, as she never thought she would take a shower with soap and shampoo again to treat her blood stained fur and hair."

"I know…" Luna rinsed out the shampoo of her hair letting the soapy suds go down her light colored fur, her eyes closed as she spoke. "God this is amazing, so glad I lived long enough to take a shower again…"

"I don't know about you guys but…" Katt cut herself off as she got the attention of some of her friends…"A shower wouldn't be the _only thing_ to feel so good right about now." She dared to say in an enticing tone, as the rest of the girls gave her a shocked yet sly look.

"You're really going to be thinking about that right now!?"

"Hey at least I'm mature enough to admit it." Katt let the water completely engulf her as she left it at that. All the girls were laughing until Miyu noticed Fay sitting in a corner shower head, simply letting the water fall upon her naked body as she sat there, arms across her knees in deep thought. Now that she finally had room to breathe, and to cry in peace was she letting her silent tears fall from her face.

"Fay…" Miyu gave quietly as her friend looked to her with such a despondent look. They were laughing about hot showers and sex, while Bill was dead at the school. He never got to share in this experience with them, he never had a chance to leave with them once he was bit. He gave up his life for their very survival, yet went practically unmentioned until now. Fay broke down crying as all the girls picked it up, it was obvious she was still very hurt from his passing. The girls huddled around in a support circle to try and lift her spirits, he was gone, but they still had each other. It would never be the same, and it would probably never be enough. But at least it was something, and not a welcoming from the dead.

Miyu picked up her friend as she helped her get clean, being mature enough to help her distraught friend washing her private and exposed parts as Fay found it difficult to do anything. The other girls only looked to one another, as they all nodded in silent agreement.

"Krystal, have you ever even had sex before?" The sudden question targeting the blue vixen as she looked back to her feline friend, her face lit ablaze as she instinctively covered her exposed breasts for some reason.

"I-I don't know why that is important to know right now!"

"I'll take that as a 'no.'" Katt looked to their fennec friend as she gave her a quirked brow. "Fara?"

"Well…No." Fara for some reason felt almost ashamed to admit it, however why did she feel this way?

"See at least Fara isn't afraid to admit it Krystal, there's no shame in it." Katt said as she looked to the last woman in this line. Katt and Luna gave each other a sly look and both smiled, then looked away.

"Wait you aren't going to ask Luna if she has or not?" Krystal questioned, wondering why the she-wolf was spared from such embarrassment. However after a moment the answer was obvious…

"Why bother when I already know the answer?" The two vixen's looked to their she-wolf friend, as Luna merely shrugged her shoulders and continued to treat her fur.

"With Fox!?" Krystal sounded almost offended as she caught Luna off-guard.

"What no!? With my old boyfriend before I moved here…"

"Oh…Sorry." Krystal gave as they all went back to their own business. After a few more moments all the women stepped from their shower, wrapping themselves in whatever towels they could find and went to the living area to find all the clothes already spread out. Although some found a few garments to where, some weren't as lucky. Either they weren't the same cup size as Vixy, or weren't close enough to try and pass it off anyway. Of course not…The mom was older, more _experienced_ in life…And had the perks that come with it, such as larger breasts than teen girls or at least ones that weren't gifted with genes to give them to them, like Luna was...

"You know that would have been pretty hot to watch." Falco admitted disrupting the vulpine from cooking as he gave his friend a harsh glare.

"Falco get your mind out of the gutter man, we got other things to worry about then staring at our friends…naked."

"Yea they're our friends Fox…But think about it for a moment." Falco got the vulpine's attention as he started to make a stew out of all the ingredients needed to be eaten up before they went bad. Stew not only made a lot, it was filling and could be eaten for the next few days…Or however long they decided to stay here.

"How long is it going to stay that way? If you take Slippy and Amanda out of the equation…There are eight of us left. There are six women, and two men…How long do you think it's going to stay like that, like everybody is single when there is a pandemic going on outside, killing off 'potential' mates?"

"I would hope people could keep _it in_ their pants." Fox hinted toward the avian as Falco let out a small chuckle.

"No promises man…And I'll be willing to bet it isn't just me. We're all in that strange time of our lives with urges we can't control…So Mrs. Jackson said in Health class. I've already seen how Katt looks at you." Fox's face heated up as that look confirmed the avian's suspicion.

"Nothing happened and nothing is going to happen between us Falco."

"Fox I don't care, I'm not mad alright? I mean yea I get kind of jealous when I think about it…But hey there are other women who might need _companionship_ too…"

"Why are we talking about this Falco?" Fox tried to end the conversation abruptly in anger as he looked away.

"Because Fox it's a real possibility…The world has gone to hell, we are all confused and scared with these anxious hormones in our bodies and minds _. Anything_ would be worth having to live with the consequences to get away from this reality for even just a little while…I'm not saying it's going to happen, all I'm saying is it could. And if it could, that means we have to be mindful and make responsible decisions."

"I know Falco…" Fox only rolled his eyes as his avian friend walked away. Fox tried to play it off cool, but deep down he was worried. It could cause internal turmoil with his friends and fellow survivors. If they were going to live much longer outside this safe haven of a bunker, they would have to learn to have the upmost trust and confidence within one another. And that would be difficult if people were arguing who would get to sleep with who. Falco was right, they were all lonely, alone, and separated during this time. Anything and everything could happen with tensions rising and urges and wants becoming harder and harder to fight off.

Fox soon banished those thoughts in his mind, as his stew was starting to become ready to eat. He looked away for a mere moment, as his friends found a large yet portable heater in the garage to set up. It generating warmth as his friends took blankets over their half-naked bodies, still wet and cold from the showers. Down here it would be impossible to tell what time it is, and if it was light or dark underground without the assistance of the screen to use to check up on the situation outside. There were disposable bowls, plates, spoons, and forks within the rations, however Fox knew they wouldn't be disposable anymore.

"Everyone, come get some dinner. There is plenty to go around." Fox could see their smiles brighten up as one-by-one his friends lined up for some stew. He was happy to say there was plenty, as his friends deserved full bellies that were beyond empty after such a long and hard day of surviving and killing. Many of them gave him thankful eyes, as he filled their bowls to the brim and gave them the proper silverware to eat with. Amanda was last as Fox took a bowl in his own hands.

"Don't worry, I'll go give him some."

"Thank you." Amanda nodded as she took her own. Fox filled the bowl as he went to Slippy still sitting in the corner.

"Oh my God this is good." Katt said aloud as she took another large helping, gulping it down letting out a pleasant moan. "I never thought I would eat home-cooked meals again…Much better than I thought it would be."

"Has any of us ever had some of Fox's cooking? He always bragged about it, yet I never had any for myself." Krystal admitted as she too really enjoyed the stew.

"I have." Fara admitted as she was pleasantly surprised as well, despite having cooked with Fox. "When we were dating we cooked together sometimes…It was a lot of fun." She let down her head a bit saddened, those simplistic days were now over. And that wasn't the only problem…if Fara wanted Fox, she would have to go through a lot of her friends to do so.

"I can't believe he stayed so strong this entire time." Katt looked to her vulpine friend who was hand-feeding the toad, as the two were smiling and even laughing despite this dark and deadly circumstance. "Guy must be exhausted, let alone hungry, and sad."

"He's always put others before himself."

"Yea…" Katt looked to him with desiring, low eyes as she tried to hide it from the rest. After Slippy was full did he make a bowl for himself, and joined the rest of his friends around the space heater. Krystal knew what the feline was getting at, as she held her sights low not wishing to argue right now and enjoy her meal in peace. The rest of the time they ate in silence, some going back for multiple bowls more, until the entire stew was eaten to the bottom, and everyone let out their filled stomachs stretching. It was so good, a great reward for surviving this far.

"Damn that hit the spot." Falco took off his shirt as he laid down against the cool tiling floor of the bunker. It was so dark in here he could almost fall asleep. And with good reason…It had only been the first day in this new world.

"I think we should shower now." Fox got up as he looked to Falco, the avian standing up with his friend. "Get yourselves comfortable…After such a long day we should sleep what we can. We'll take turns keeping watch just in case something happens."

"Alright." Everyone agreed as the two men went to the shower, and the ladies cleaned up the mess from dinner. They both stripped down and entered it quickly, not comfortable with the idea of being naked and vulnerable as the girls could simply watch. Now Falco knew how they felt as the water poured down his body, a mixture of anxious fear yet heavenly relief.

"Damn man…Never thought I would feel a shower again."

"I know what you mean." Fox carried on with the conversation as they both just went to work cleaning their bodies.

"Fox I never said it…But thank you. You did probably the best any of us would have been able to do to get out of the school alive…And as together as possible."

"Thanks Falco." Is all the vulpine gave back as they didn't look to one another. The girls were all getting situated, trying to decide who should sleep wear in this crazy slumber party they were all about to have. Katt was about to place her bag on the outside part of the group, until a threatened voice called to her.

"Why do you want to sleep over there Katt?" Krystal asked crossing her arms over the top of her breasts not covered by the baggy shirt she wore. Katt had planted herself right next to Fox's and Falco's beds…

"Come on Krystal, I know you are jealous but jeez no need to be downright hostile about it."

"Who says I'm jealous?" Krystal tried to defend herself as the feline didn't buy it.

"It couldn't be more obvious, it's all over your face."

"I just want to know why you chose to sleep there of all places."

"Maybe because I'm still a bit scared on the inside? Maybe because I would feel safer around the two men who risked their lives to save us…Or maybe because I damn well please. What does it matter?"

"Fine…I guess." Krystal just turned her body trying to find a place herself. As the feline shrugged it off and laying her bag next to Fox's…Very soon the order had been set. Fay and Miyu slept on the very outside, while Fara and Krystal slept on the beginning of the inside. Katt laid her bag next to the top of this semi-circle yet liner line that Fox and Falco were the head of, and it ended with Luna on the other side and Amanda as well.

Fox and Falco did not take as long to shower as they walked out, stealing a few pieces of clothing to go change in the corner. Making sure to get the women to turn around to not peak at their exposed bodies. They both wore only boxers and sweat pants, leaving their top halves exposed and joined the rest of their friends. Fox rushed over to Slippy bringing another blanket and a pillow to the toad who still sat chained against the wall.

"If you need anything Slippy, just call out to us." Fox's eyes held a solemn apology as the toad only smiled, to try and brighten up his friend's spirit.

"It's okay Fox, it has to be done. Don't worry about me."

"I know, good night Slip." Fox left the toad to get comfortable throughout the night as the rest of his friends looked at him. Fox only got into his own sleeping bag, cracking his joints as he noticed everybody was looking at him.

"Well…You can go to sleep whenever you guys want. But try and get as much rest as you can. We have a lot to discuss when we wake up." Nobody said anything, they all just turned in for the night, or at least most of them did as everybody kept to themselves.

"We'll take turns keeping watch. I'll take the first shift." Fox got out of his bag as Krystal only looked to him. Fox went to the screen taking a water bottle and a blanket to wrap around his form while the rest closed their eyes, and rested their minds. She let out her held breath and tried to relax, however not much effort was needed. It had been such a long, exhausting day. Her eyelids soon felt heavy as she went into a gentle slumber, one she believed would never happen again.

X

Many hours later it was the dead of night, however you couldn't tell being underground, down here in the bunker. All was quiet through the vulpine's house, an almost eerie silence as he looked to the screen that went about all kinds of news media stories on live broadcasting, however he didn't wish to hear any of it right now. His mind was too distracted on the thoughts of his parents. There was a good chance Fox would never see them again…As he tried to keep his spirits up, and his strength and energy high. As much as he missed them, there were others depending on them for their survival.

"How come you never woke anybody else up?" The vulpine turned to see Katt slowly approaching him, wrapping her body in a type of housecoat as she took a seat next to him.

"I guess I just wasn't tired. Everyone needed their sleep…Why are you up?"

"It's hard to sleep…Thinking back to everything that happened today." Katt admitted in a quiet tone, letting her head fall as she tried to keep it together. "We did…terrible things to get out of the school. And it's only been the first day."

"But we're safe now." Fox tried to brighten her spirits as she looked to him with thankful eyes. "We can stay here for quite a while."

"I want to stay, but I don't know about anybody else." Katt scooted closer to the man, snuggling up against his body heat as Fox merely let her. She, like any of them had been through much. Any kind of comfort was needed to escape this harsh reality for even a moment.

"We'll have to talk about it tomorrow."

"What do you think we should do?" Katt looked up to the vulpine as he let go of his breath, trying to think clearly and logically. His decision would very much cost someone's life if he wasn't careful.

"I think the best idea is to stay. We can survive a long time down here. We can train up, learn to use some of those weapons over there, and be ready when it comes time we have to leave."

"That sounds like a logical plan." Katt admitted as she continued to use Fox's shoulder as a headrest.

"But I don't know what everyone else will think, that would mean to forget and forsake our families…And by the time we leave here, there's a good chance most if not all of them will be dead."

"It's one sacrifice for another." Katt admitted. "Either we go out there when we're ready and be prepared to sacrifice our loved ones…Or we go out there when we aren't, and be ready to sacrifice some of ourselves."

"You're ultimately right. It's either our loved ones, or ourselves…" Fox's heart was heavy on this decision approaching them. He wondered just who would decide to stay…And who would decide to ultimately leave. Now that they were in this safe haven, they didn't necessarily need to stay together anymore. People could branch out themselves if they wished, it wouldn't be the smartest thing, but we often forsake logic in desperate situations.

Katt opened her eyes a moment later, noticing the vulpine was lost in thought as she slowly moved her hand from around the blanket. Part of her wanted to try her way with him now…They were alone for the moment, just the two of them as everyone else was passed out after such a long day. She said nothing as she reached her hand around near his lap…However Fox caught her as he grabbed her hand with his own, giving her a half-hearted look as he put her hand down in her own lap.

"I'm flattered Katt." Fox admitted in a quiet voice as the two looked toward one another. "But now isn't the time for that."

"Fox…There will never be a good time for it. But…We're alone, you want it as bad as I do don't you?"

"I just want to keep us all alive." Fox didn't even try to cover his words, not caring if he offended the feline or not. It's not that he didn't find her attractive, she had a very curvaceous body that could subdue most men if she wished. But he had other things on his mind, keeping his friends alive. They had lost one already, and another permanently crippled. And as time went by…Their friends would die one by one.

"Just…Sit with me please." Fox asked as he let out another breath, the feline continuing to do just that. They sat together, alone in the dark trying to calm their breaths as she didn't try any further. Fox knew this would be a normal thing, Katt, like any of their friends was probably desperate for any kind of physical affection. Anything that could numb the pain of this world for even just a little while. They heard nothing from their family, committed horrible acts against others for their own survival. And they were expected to just wipe it off and move on? It would never happen. They needed anything to feel alive again, despite not having joined the dead just yet. It was clear in this new world, the death would never stop happening around them.

Fox was the same, he needed physical and emotional comfort just like the rest of them. He tried to be strong, to have a tough exterior that couldn't be penetrated by anything. But he had his weaknesses, and his emotional feelings just like any of them. However the only difference was, for some reason he was shouldered with the responsibility of keeping them alive. If he made a mistake, his friends could pay the price. Just like Bill did.

"I'll stay awake, you go get some rest." Katt looked up to the vulpine, only to find that he was already sleeping letting out gentle snores. Even Fox had his physical limits, as his body ached and yearned for the restoration and rejuvenated feeling that came with a deep slumber. Katt thought it was cute, as she put on a small smile, and kissed him lovingly on his forehead.

"Sleep well hero."

X

A few hours later Fox awoke slowly from his sleeping bag, careful not to disturb anyone else who may have still been sleeping. He didn't even remember how he got from his position on the floor last night to his bag, but it didn't matter. Fox looked to see that some of the bags were empty, while a few of his friends were still asleep. Fay and Miyu still slumbered, but the rest seemed to be awake. Fox looked to his side, to be freaked out a second later as Krystal was sleeping on his side, slightly under his body as he looked around quickly. He didn't know how or when Krystal got so close to him, dressed in only under garments and a baggy shirt too big for her, but she was still sound asleep as she rolled onto her side closer to him.

Fox only picked himself up quietly, allowing the weary girl to sleep a bit longer and tip-toed through the other sleeping teens. He let out a quiet yawn, popping his neck joining the rest of his friends along the heater having breakfast. Some of them were dressed in different clothing, some were not.

"Good morning." Fara turned to see the vulpine approaching them, as she handed him a bowl of cereal with more than enough milk to use it all up before it went to waste. "Did you sleep alright?"

"For what I did yea, thanks." He smiled as they gathered around, not really speaking to one another. Fox encouraged them to eat more, there was no telling when their next meal would be if they left…Besides the milk needed to be used up before it went bad. Fox went toward Slippy, noticing some of his friends stirring awake as one by one they came to get some food.

"Did you sleep okay Slippy?" Fox kneeled down to inspect his friend, as the toad was still a bit tired.

"Yea I think so…I feel alright Fox." He was happy to give as Fox gave him a smile to match his own.

"Just alright or what?"

"Well considering my arm still hurts like hell…Yea for the most part okay. I don't feel ill or dehydrated, I don't feel like there is some kind of sickness in me. But it's probably best to keep me like this, at least for a bit longer."

"Okay Slippy, I trust your judgment." Fox got up as he went to the rest of his friends, as everybody stirred awake now. He was a bit nervous around Krystal as she looked to him with sleepy eyes, unaware as to why he was giving her that funny face. Krystal used her telepath to look through his mind, and what she found shocked her awake almost immediately. She held an embarrassing gaze to him as Krystal didn't ever remember leaving her own bed to join his…It was the closest has ever been to one another.

They looked toward one another as it all became clear. And avoided a conversation as well as probably an argument about it, as Krystal went to get herself some breakfast. About an hour after everyone was awake, and had eaten their fill. Fox got all of their attention.

"Everyone, we have something to discuss."

"About what we're going to do?" Miyu asked aloud as the two locked eyes.

"Yes…We have to decide if we are going to stay in here until the supplies run out, or if we are going to leave prematurely to try and find our parents or anyone else."

"Does anyone really think leaving is a good idea?" Luna asked aloud as all their friends looked toward one another. No one wanted to be the odd man or woman out, but healthy debate was always encouraged in this democracy…For as long as it would stay that way.

"This is how I look at it." Fara was brave as she was the first, and currently the only one to disagree about staying here. "The longer we stay in here, the less likely we are to find our parents. Not only just that…But the less likely we'll be able to join up with any other groups to help survive this."

"You mean like the military?"

"Yes. Think about it. They might be able to control this thing for now…But over time they'll eventually get overturned. And if that happens we will be on our own entirely. I think we should leave to join up with them now, the longer we wait the less likely any kind of organization or civilization is going to survive."

"But you said it yourself." Krystal spoke as the two looked to one another. "Eventually they'll get swarmed as well…Why bother with it when we can take care of ourselves?"

"But we also have to remember that the longer we stay, the harder it's going to be to escape the planet. Maybe there are other places that aren't effected by all of this." Amanda gave out loud as the rest thought about it. It was a good guess and a good reason to think about. If they could somehow escape the planet, like how the military was surely dispatching people off the planet for safety…Then could they reach somewhere not affected by this devastation and destruction?

"We don't know anything though." Falco gave his words. "We don't know what's going on, or how bad this thing really is…What if it's all over the system, then what?"

"I don't know…But staying here we're sitting ducks, just waiting for those things to find us." Fara gave aloud as she was scared to stay in one place for any length of time.

"But we have access to basically everything here." Fox peered around the large room as they all did as well. "We could train up, learn how to use these weapons. So when we leave, we'll be ready."

"Let's see what the media says." They all turned toward the screen as Fox went to hit some commands into the control panel, and flicker the screen to life. A moment later it switched to one of the news broadcasts still playing, live from the studio of course as nobody risked going outside. At least those who came back alive from the outside.

"We will be giving nonstop broadcasts as long as we can, until either the situation is maintained under control, or we run out of personnel to maintain the station." The feline reporter seemed very nervous as she spoke, continuing to look into the camera. Everyone was silent as they listened.

"This killing pandemic has quickly spread throughout the planet, and within the matter of a day we are seeing similar activity happening all across the system. We have lost communication with most parts of Fortuna, while other planets are struggling to maintain order. Scientists and researchers have not yet uncovered where this disease came from, and are working around the clock to come up with a solution to battle the infestation and keep it from spreading. It's been estimated that the amount of beings from satellite pictures already infected, have reached into the hundreds of thousands…The four governors of Corneria have already declared a State of Emergency as police and military alike struggle to keep the numbers of this disease under control. Do not leave your homes unless absolutely necessary."

Fox paused the screen after such statements, and the teens slowly took it all in. This wasn't just in their city, or even the planet…This epidemic was happening all across the system. Nowhere they went would be safe.

"So they're literally everywhere…More than you could ever count." Fox said aloud for them all to hear, as some of them struggled to keep it together.

"Everything was normal…Everything was just fine until yesterday!" Krystal began to freak out as tears ran down her face. These things weren't just around them, they were everywhere, and there would be no escape from them in time.

"This is happening all over the system." Luna gave quietly as slowly but surely, everyone was piecing it together their own way. No one was going to come help them, not their friends, family, or even the military. Unless they went to them, the teens were on their own.

"Then we definitely shouldn't stay here. It's only a matter of time before we run out of supplies, and the longer we wait the less likely we'll be able to find some kind of protection." Miyu gave as she shivered violently, not because she was cold, but the pure fear embedded in her mind.

"That's the point. We have to depend on ourselves, not anybody else. Let's think of it this way." Fay argued as they looked toward one another. "How long will it take before the walls come crashing down around the military, and we are trapped inside? What if the same thing happens _inside_ the military? We would never get out then. We need to stay, and defend ourselves over anything else."

"We have enough supplies to last literally months, maybe even longer if we spread out meals and limited the use of water." Fox gave trying to give them some comfort, but what hope was there? It doesn't matter how much time they spent using these supplies. It wouldn't last forever…

"They can stop it right?" Fara tried to be hopeful as she gave a small smile, to a false, dying hope. "The military can stop this thing…Can't they?"

"No." Falco gave plainly as Fox gave him an angered look.

"Why did you have to be so blunt about it?"

"Because we can't sugarcoat and fantasize about things Fox. This thing is too big for the military and you know that." Falco looked to his fennec friend as she threatened to crumble and give to this overwhelming emotion taking control of her fears.

"I'm sorry Fara, but there isn't much we can do except survive. The entire system is experiencing the same thing. Nowhere we go is going to be free of these things. We have to carry on and survive, that's all we can do."

"What about heat?" Amanda brought up the strange question as everyone looked to her. "Is it possible we can eventually outlast these things?"

"I wouldn't count on it. This thing isn't going to end like past diseases and plagues in the past. These things don't follow traditional medical logic. We can't count on anything to slow them down other them destroying their brains." Slippy gave his two cents still chained up way in the back corner. It was the 10 of them against a lifetime filled with these things. "We don't know anything about these things, we don't know if they can see, if they feel, how strong an individual zombie is, or anything like that. All we really know is that they react to sound, and that getting bit and dying while bit, turns you into one of them."

"So what should we do?" Krystal gave the question out loud as Fox thought.

"It's too risky to go outside just yet…Not when we aren't trained, and we don't know anything about these things. We can leave in time…We'll have to. But for now I think we should hunker down and protect ourselves until we are ready. We have to seclude ourselves." Fox gave out loud, however the debate was still very much alive.

"I don't like it. I don't like hiding in the dark waiting for those freaks to come barging in." Miyu let a few tears fall as she let aloud.

"We can talk about it in a bit…For now let's all try and get ahold of our families. One at a time." Fox gave as everyone just agreed in silence. He turned toward the screen letting Falco go first, to see if he could get ahold of his mother or anyone in his family for that matter. Another big decision was in front of them, and another decision that could be costly if they made the wrong choice. To stay, and outlast the supplies, or to go out unprepared in the hopes of finding a loved one alive, or to join up with the military and a hope of getting out of here by some means.

While his friends did that, Fox went to go look at some of the weapons. Familiarity with these tools could mean the different of life and death.

 _All that remained is how long they would stay hunkered down here in the dark…_

 _Author's Notes_

 _Another big decision. They got to supplies and a safe haven for now, but how long would it last?_

 _Take care! Have fun and talk over it!_

 _Until next time_

 _Zythxx_


	6. Up Close And Personal

Half a day had passed, and all was quiet for the teens waiting around in the dark. To no surprise none of the teens were able to get ahold of their family members…Not a single person was picking up. No land-line phones, no cellular devices, nobody was answering their calls and it only made the teens worry. Fox had dismissed the teens to do whatever for the time being. Some tried to keep their minds occupied to escape the thoughts that their families could possibly be dead, while others wept in corners hoping, praying they would see them again. Alive and well. Fox however spent his time overlooking this collection of weapons his father had collected for them to use at their own disposal and protection.

There were many different types of weapons. Anything from handguns, SMG's, assault rifles, and even some of the more sophisticated laser weaponry as well. Fox had never fired laser weapons before, and he was no weapon expert either. He only really knew what his dad had taught and shown him. From his understanding, there were two different kinds of laser weapons. Those that fire off an ammo system, and those that do not. Laser weapons that fired from a disposable battery pack similar to a magazine for bullet weapons were more precise and deadly. However their weakness lied in just that same strength, they only fired until the pack ran out. Laser weapons that ran off a cooling system would let you fire for quite a while, however these weapons were more sporadic in terms of power and accuracy. And once they overheated it would be quite a while before they would recharge and cooldown for resuming fire. Until they learned more about the basics of gun safety, for Fox to try and teach his small militia group of survivors how to operate weapons, they would use the guns that ran off of a cooling system.

However weapons that used metal bullets also had its advantages and disadvantages compared to laser weapons. They were much louder than laser weaponry, as because they only charged to a certain extent and were designed to be quiet. However what Fox noticed is that there were all kinds of attachments available to the weapons that used metal bullets, and could heavily modify all the weapons they would use to be as useful and resourceful as they could. Fox was already doing that, they had enough weapons for everyone to have a main weapon with a sidearm, and he could put people in specialized jobs. Fox always wanted to fire a sniper rifle, and the powerful charged laser rifle hanging from the walls known as 'Judgment' was the perfect candidate for him. But he knew Falco had the better eyesight, and could make every shot count from long distance when he needed to.

Fox knew he was always going to be on the front line, so it would be smart to get acquainted and familiarize himself with the Scatter Gun, the laser cooling weapon equivalent to a shotgun. This powerful weapon had the best of both types of laser weaponry. It had a powerful, high efficiency cooling system so it could fire blasts multiple times over, however packed a powerful punch. This was the only cooling laser rifle that had a charge system to hold the power for maximum destruction. They had many different types of weapons down here. Handguns, shotguns, rifles, machine guns, sniper rifles, weapons that used electrical currents, grenade launchers, flash bangs, smoke bombs, and much more. It was just a matter of learning these tools.

But that's not all the kids had. No Fox had also found a stash of sharp and deadly melee weapons. Machetes, hand-axes, hunting knives, and a lot more.

That's what Fox had been doing all this time, familiarizing himself with these weapons so he could eventually teach his friends. For the moment the decision was to stay…but they wouldn't just sit in the dark waiting for the supplies to run out. No while they were down here they would train, to learn to now only operate these weapons but as well as operate as a single unit. They may have been kids, young adults, but they were smart enough and mature enough to know what would happen if they weren't prepared for anything. They could stay down here for quite a while, a few months at least, and in that time they would train their minds and bodies into weapons themselves. They had to if they were going to survive out there in the thick of it all…

Fox decided to take a break, he had spent the last few hours going over all the weaponry. Anything from what they had to how much ammunition each type of weapon had. He walked back toward the main commissary area, as no one was really talking except Slippy, Amanda, and Fay. Slippy had felt well enough to stand and get around a bit, and Amanda made him a sling for his hurt arm torn from one of the sheets from the rooms. As Fox approached, they all turned to look at him.

"What did you find out?"

"There should be enough supplies to last us around six months if we stretched everything out to the absolute. This bunker has its own self-sustaining generator, and if we ever get into an emergency power situation, there is actually an energy creating bicycle hidden below that we can pull out and someone peddle to generate power. There is also a system to collect and purify rain water to restore our water supply. And the system has an air-purifier if for whatever reason the air becomes toxic." Slippy explained it all.

"Alright, what about the outlet? Is there any more news on what's happening around the planet and the rest of the system?"

"There is. So far Corneria is using every airport around the city as an emergency staging area where they are telling civilians to go to. Food, water, medical supplies, military protection. There have been no reports of one of the staging areas going dark to the infection. They've also set up this massive refugee center in the heart of the city. The central location so every person has the best chance of making it there. They're bringing in everything to combat the infection. Military, first responders, everything to try and thin the numbers of the infected."

"Sounds like even though a lot of those things are out there, the city is taking the correct measures to keep them under control." Fox tried to sound hopeful, however Slippy wasn't through.

"I don't know Fox. I'm not sure how long it will last. There are just too many people, to many zombies, and not enough soldiers. Not only that, there is even worse news."

"What is that?"

"Refugees from other planets have been coming in the loads of thousands on transport ships to land and receive aid from Corneria. As Corneria is one of the largest and wealthiest planets in the system. But the government has created a strict blockade to keep refugees out, and there is talk of small conflicts along the borders. If tensions continue to rise we could have a war with the rest of the system while the entire system combats the disease."

"Makers what is wrong with people?" Fox sounded infuriated.

"It makes sense, there is only so many supplies to go around. The government has asked anyone handy with a gun to join the planetary militia to go gather resources through hunting, fishing, logging, and the rest to try and keep the supplies from running out when it's already incredibly taxed and depleting fast. We don't have the resources to sustain a bigger population than we already have, those refugees need to be going to another planet or back to their own planet to the fight the plague themselves. It's obvious our government wasn't prepared for such an epidemic, we were caught with our pants down."

Fox took a moment to pause as he soaked it all in. It honestly sounded as if Fox and his friends had better odds of surviving than the rest of the planet. So long as they kept themselves hidden and no one left foolishly…

"What are you thinking that we should do Slippy?"

"At this point Fox, my honest to the Makers assumption is that we have a better chance of surviving this thing than the rest of the planet. They simply don't have enough supplies or personnel to combat this thing and keep it under control until a solution can be figured out. It's already blown completely out of proportion. They are taking anybody at this point willing to volunteer for weapons training to fight on the frontlines."

"Do they know anything about what this thing is or where it came from?"

"They haven't given an official statement as to what happens to an infected person. All they've said is that they are working on it non-stop, and have some of the most brilliant minds on the planet working on it…" Slippy paused for a moment, as he looked away.

"Does that mean…?"

"Yes." He finally looked back. "My father is probably working on trying to figure out what is happening with this virus. He's not a biologist, he works with machines not cells. But he has a pretty deep understanding about what happens when a virus takes over. And at this point what choice do they really have? No one is smarter than my father to try and figure this out. He's probably working with some of the smartest biologists Corneria has to try and figure this out and produce live tests for treatment, if they're still alive that is…"

"Where would they be?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. They wouldn't have them on the planet I think, that would be too risky if the infected broke through the military cordon protecting the research facility or the site of where they're at…My guess is they're somewhere in space, over the planet's atmosphere in a heavily controlled, and protected environment. If I had to guess, that's where your parents would be too. Perhaps even Fara's dad. Hell all of our parents could be on the station or at least with my father if they had round everyone up fast enough through contact with either of our dads."

"I guess we can only hope at this point." Fox crossed his arms as he looked at all the information the three had set up on the center table they pulled out from the terminal. Fox turned to Slippy once again for the answers.

"There really is no reason to leave is there?"

"At this point no." Slippy spoke plainly. "We have the resources needed to survive for quite a while. During this time we can train up, learn to move and work as a team, and ready ourselves for what lies beyond this house. Eventually the supplies for the planet will run out, and when that happens it will be an all-out fight for dominance. Only the strong will survive, and Armageddon will take place. The streets will be ruled by gangs and private militias, and the military will consider anyone outside of their group as hostiles, even civilians. There is no sense in leaving until we absolutely have to."

"What would be our next move at this point?" Fox asked and this time Fay stepped in to answer his question. She was still healing from Bill's death, but slowly but surely she was finding the strength and confidence to live on, to live for her friends and perhaps her family if they ever found each other.

"We had talked about the possible solutions to our problem when it's time to leave. We'll have to find not only a place to hold up but to fortify and defend. It will have to have all the basic necessities to survive such as water and supplies."

"Okay, so what are you suggesting?"

"There are three possible solutions we came up with. The first is to find some kind of massive site that already had everything we needed to some extent. Perhaps not water but enough space that we could rectify some kind of defense and live for the time being. An example would be a huge department store or something along the lines that would have something left. Remember we are talking six months from now, where any form of government will most likely be gone."

"Alright, what's the second option?"

"This is the one I believe is our best bet." Amanda spoke now as she and Fox looked to one another. "Perhaps we should move to a location that is already self-sufficient that we could fortify and improve on. My suggestion, a dam."

"A dam?"

"Yes, not like a massive one. But one that is small enough for us to maintain yet large enough for us to gather people and build up on. We could use the waters currents to create power and generate electricity. There would be fresh water, we could go cut down trees to gather firewood for the cold months. It would be the best way to live off the land while still keeping the necessities to survive."

"Alright. And what's the final option?"

"This isn't really an option, Slippy is just crazy."

"It can work Fay. It won't be easy but if we could pull it off it would be hands down our best bet for survival." Slippy tried to defend his plan, despite how unlikely it may be.

"What is it Slippy?"

"Fox, the best way to survive this we already know is to depend on ourselves. And I mean _solely_ ourselves. We could create an environment that is not only self-sufficient, but also safe."

"How?"

"First we choose a location to isolate, for example your house."

"What do you mean isolate?" Fox wasn't following.

"It will be easier if I just explain it all at once." Slippy took a deep breath of a pause, before continuing on trying to be as simplistic yet descriptive at the same time.

"If we had all the technology scavenged over time, we can create an environment that would be completely self-sufficient as well as out of reach from the infected. First, we grab solar powered rocket boosters and drill them deeply into the four corners of your home. Then we wire them up with enough power to propel and rip your home out of the planet's grasp. We can program them to use solar energy through the day, and at night use power from backup generators that we can also power up similar with the energy creating bike. Next we have to go about water. We could modify the hovercraft so it can collect and purify rain water, as well as the house as its floating in the air. I could build with Amanda's help a cloaking device that suppresses sound from us and the boosters from other survivors. The only thing we would have to scavenge is food and in the future ammunition." Slippy was finally done revealing what he considered was his full proof plan.

"That sounds…" Fox didn't know what to say exactly. It sounded impossible.

"It would be an incredibly difficult task. But if I had all the right tools, materials, and devices I could make it a reality. We escaped the school, I know we can do this."

"Nothing is off the table Slippy. We could also try and leave the planet if need be. Over time we can definitely keep an eye out for all the stuff you would need, but for now we should focus on what we plan to do."

"I understand. For now we survive day by day…I'd give it a day or two to let everyone mourn and pray before we call everyone together for training. I don't have a lab or the tools needed to create an artificial arm but eventually I plan to learn as well. We can track the progress of everyone to see what kind of weapon they are best suited for while also fulfilling a vital job for the rest of the group."

"Were you able to learn about the strengths and weaknesses of infected people?"

"Nothing absolute but by watching them through recordings from news stations I have a few theories. From what I understand they don't respond to sight. However they have very keen reflexes so the moment they hear you they'll lunge. I don't think they have any idea who they are or what they're doing, they seem to be 110% driven by instinct."

"So these things are fast and deadly."

"Yes but if you can move around without making a sound you would be unscathed. I have no idea if heat affects them, or if they can smell like we do, that's all I have so far. The strength of an individual zombie is still not unprecedented, but it's no doubt a pack of them can move barricades and break through incredibly heavy or hard barriers like fences and gates. I've already seen footage of dozens of them completely tearing down a steel barricade at one of the military frontlines."

At that moment their conversation was interrupted by the sound and flashing lights of the terminal as everyone's attention was peaked. Slippy and Fox ran to the terminal as the toad tried to figure out what was causing the panic. After a moment they realized it wasn't anything for them to be aware of, but for the military definitely as there was something troubling going on. They were picking up radio chatter between the central command post and one of the airports set up for the emergency.

"Central Command this is Eastside Airport! We are under attack!"

"Eastside we read you loud and clear, we are sending you additional troops and ground support. Help is on the way."

"No we aren't being attacked by the infected, we're under attack by a group of hostiles!"

"Say again Eastside, what hostiles?"

"A group of hostiles are attacking the airport and destroying the barricade! Shit the infected are breaking through! They have RPG'S and air support for Maker's sake!"

"Understood we are sending the birds out immediately, hold out as long as you can!"

"Hello!? Can you hear me!? We are under attack, gunfire is everywhere and the infected have broken through! Requesting immediate assistance!" After that there was no more radio chatter from the Eastside Airport shelter. All that could be heard was fuzzy gunfire and the sounds of moans from the infected. It stayed that way for several moments until all gunfire and moaning had ceased for now. Slippy tried to use the terminal to get some kind of visual on the site. However all he could get was an air view from a security camera up in the radio tower of the airport.

The entire place was just a disaster, the airport had been caught on fire and bodies were scattered everywhere. Some people were running from the scene, however not all of them made it as they were gunned down from within the airport. Zombies and beings still alive were being killed all the same, until the site was completely silent of anyone fighting for life. Dozens of beings dressed like soldiers came from all around different parts of the airport. Slippy switched the feed from the camera in the tower to one of the cameras actually inside the airport.

It looked no better from the inside, several fires were smoking in multiple spots. Bodies of soldiers, civilians, and zombies alike littered the floor. It looks as though no one was spared from this attack. One of the attackers grabbed the radio receiver as they kneeled down near a dead body, probably the soldier who was calling for aid.

"This is the Final Front. You left us for dead, soldiers and civilians alike when you set up the borders, and left everyone outside the city limits to die. We were the first wave to combat the undead, and also the first to be forsaken. We will perform the job, and put an end to this virus. We will cease all life in the city, and none will be spared. We will bring you to your knees before chopping off the head of the corruption in the military and the government. You have witnessed our power, and our numbers only grow. Be warned, we will strike when you least expect it, and we are coming for you."

The soldier left it at that as he stood back up, and executed the soldier who wasn't quite dead. Pulling out his pistol and blasting him straight in the head, as well as a nearby zombie trying to get back up. However the most interesting part of the scene was when the soldiers departed. They all just vanished, dematerialized into nothing. And just like that, they were gone. All that was left was the destruction in their wake.

X

It was late at night, some of the teens were sleeping while a few were still awake. Either trying to cheer the other up or were just sitting alone in their thoughts. Many of them were freaked out to what they had witnessed today. A group of armed and dangerous militia soldiers were fighting off the infection and the government…By promising to cease all life on the planet. In the normal world you would have to be crazy to think a rogue military group could pull that off. But they didn't live in the normal world, they lived in a world that was ran by madness and death. The government had no resources to put a stop to the Final Front as well as fight off the disease. This would be a rather serious thorn in their sides, only time would tell how serious of a wound they would prove to be.

"Hey." Krystal said to Fox as she sat by his side, leaning up the wall where she stumbled at first. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm still a little spooked, but I'm okay. How about yourself?"

"I don't know how I am." Fox didn't know if Krystal was referring to the fact that she couldn't get ahold of her parents, or because of how much alcohol she had consumed. Many of the teens had been drinking to try and numb the pain they were all going through, however most of them were passed out sleeping at this point. Krystal took another sip from her bottle of rum before coughing to try and get some air.

"Want some?" She offered the vulpine.

"Sure." Fox took the bottle from her grasp and took a swig holding it upwards. However after a moment he also gasped for air, to try and clear his burning throat. He set the bottle down between the two as they stayed silent for a few more moments.

"Are we going to die Fox? Are we ever going to escape this nightmare?" She said aloud out of nowhere. Fox didn't know if the alcohol had made Krystal lose grasp on the world around her, or be enlightened.

"I don't know Krystal." He wished he had a better answer for the girl, probably deep in thought about the choices they were making. In the grand scheme of things, it all seemed so pointless. In time, they would all die.

"I didn't think you did, I just wanted to talk. Someone to talk too." Krystal admitted, the two not looking at one another.

"I'm sorry." Is all he could give her.

"Why is this happening? What did we do to deserve this?"

"I don't know why it's happening Krystal. All I know is that we have each other, and we have our friends. We can survive this thing if we stick together and work together."

"I wish I had your optimism Fox, as well as your confidence." Krystal paused as she took another swig from the bottle, coughing to try and get some air after. "My people…Some of us can see the future, though I doubt any of my people foresaw this."

"I know it's not easy to accept. But in time I think we will all come together."

"Fox…You know I wanted to believe you earlier today. I wanted to believe that we could overcome this disease. But now seeing that the living are turning on one another with the Final Front…I'm not sure if I believe you anymore." Krystal admitted her fear, without skipping a beat. It sounded as though she had already given up.

"They're vile beings." Krystal looked to Fox to see anger and even hatred in his eyes. "They're worse than the zombies. They kill the living when we should be trying to defend one another. They're…The Worsen."

"The Worsen?" Krystal asked.

"People who kill the living for their own selfish gain. Like Mr. Jay when he killed all the teachers. Those that kill because there is nobody to stop them from abusing and killing the weak and defenseless. We should be banning together, strengthening one another to survive and outlast the zombies. Yet the evil ones are corrupting the strong and absorbing the weak. They're worse than the infected."

Fox was finally done explaining himself as he felt like his anger was at its boiling point. He didn't understand why people were killing other living people when a bigger threat was all around them. Society should be brining each other up, not yanking another down. At this rate, society will cease to exist. Only a society of the living dead will roam the planet, and the entire system. No goal, no ambition, the only agenda is to feast on the living until it is time to feast again.

"The Worsen huh? It should be our codename for any hostile person." Krystal smiled as she took another swig, and handed the bottle over to Fox for him to catch up with her. Nothing was spoken between the two, not for several moments until Krystal shifted posture to face the vulpine.

"Fox." She got his attention as Krystal suddenly grabbed his face and brought him toward her, yanking him into a quick kiss before letting him go. Even though she put some space between their lips, the blue vixen still cradled his face lovingly.

"Look Fox, there's something you need to know. You need to know that…I love you. I'm sorry that it's taken me this long to tell you how I feel but, you needed to know before one of us die. I can't say how or why but…I have a feeling my time is coming to an end. And I'll die a little bit happier knowing I told you how I felt." With no more words Krystal let go of the vulpine, and picked herself up as well as the bottom as best as she could and headed to sleep like the others.

Fox was completely lost for words. He didn't know if it was just the alcohol talking, or if Krystal was actually serious about what she said. It could be one or the other, or a combination of the two. It made sense. They may have had the supplies needed to survive for some time, but nothing was set in stone. Anything could happen, and any of them could die at any time. Even with the best case scenario, they were only stalling out the inevitable. There was no escape from this fate.

But Fox didn't think that was true. So long as they had each other, and worked together. Anything was possible, even surviving in this new dangerous world. Fox believed that so long as they stayed together, one day they would achieve a life worth living for each other.

X

Fox suddenly awoke in the dead of night, far deep into the hours of the dark. He was the only one that had stirred awake, as he looked all around him for a moment, and listened deeply.

"Everyone get up!" He said quietly yet forcibly as everyone around him began to stir awake, minus Slippy still sleeping in the corner.

"What?" Someone called out as Fox threw the sheets to the side.

"There's someone here." Fox jumped out of bed as he called out to the terminal. "Lights on, show all camera feed." The terminal followed his command, as he ran to the weapons to retrieve one he actually knew what to do with. Fox grabbed the Scatter Gun as he went back to the terminal, to see the scary invasion of his home.

"Look around Jack, see if we can find anything."

"Sure." Two men were calling out to one another, scavengers, looters, thieves as they entered Fox's seemingly abandoned home. At this point all the teens were awake and eye widened as everyone was watching the screen. It was hard to tell what races of beings were pillaging through Fox's home, all that was clear as it was two men both armed with a single pistol.

"Nothing, not a damn thing…" The man sounded saddened that there was nothing in the home of value or use, because Fox and his friends had already picked the house clean.

"Looks like someone else was already here…"

"Probably the people who owned the property. It's been a day, this much shouldn't be missing unless it was the family living here trying to get off the planet or so."

"What do we do now? Those things are all over the place."

"We have to keep moving, hunkering down here with nothing isn't going to get us anywhere."

"Why don't we try for the Central Refugee Center?"

"We'll never make it…Those things are everywhere and we don't have enough ammo to make it all the way there…"

"Why don't we try and help them?" Miyu asked out loud as everyone gave her a crazed look, was she insane?

"Because we don't know anything about these people. They're armed and they're most likely dangerous." Slippy gave the most logical answer.

"And if we don't help them they might die!"

"We might die!" Katt argued as Miyu shook her head.

"We can't just throw them to the infected, not when we have the means to save them…" She wasn't liking how this conversation was going. "If we have the means to save people, but don't, how are we any better than the Final Front?"

"Because we don't kill the living." Fox gave to Miyu in a stern voice before the two locked eye contact.

"Refusing to help or killing them yourself, there's no difference!"

"Quiet!" Fay shut everyone up as they all hushed their tones. "Remember we don't know if this place is really sound proof or not."

"What was that!?" One of the two men said as they began to panic and tread lightly on their feet. They moved through the darkened house to spot outside the windows toward the front of the house. Infected were moving all throughout the streets, as the group could see the camera feed outside. How many there were in total was unclear, as some were wandering through the streets while others on the other side of the homes. The two strangers just looked toward one another.

"Fuck man what do we do!?" They were yelling in whispers to each other.

"We run for it, make every shot count."

"There's no way we'll make it."

"And if we stay here they'll find us. If we stay here we'll die, we should at least give ourselves a fighting chance."

"I guess we'll see if they really have eyesight or just react to sound." Amanda said aloud, Miyu was the only person still in complete shock at what the group was doing, or at least wasn't willing to do.

"They're not lab rats! If we let them go they'll die! We have to help them!"

"No Miyu!" Fox interjected as he gave the lynx a harsh stare. She was afraid, but she was trying to be indifferent and brave. "It's one thing to pick up people who are completely helpless or someone we know, but these men are armed and clearly hostile! Bringing them in can get us all killed!"

"If you won't help them then I will!" Miyu bolted for the door upfront as nobody was prepared to try and stop her.

"Stop!" Fox chased after her Scatter Gun still at hand. Some watched the two race up the stairs while others the newsfeed, and a small panic flooded through the group.

"What should we do!?"

"We can't just let those two get out! They're basically calling the infected to find us!"

"Stop them!" Falco finally was done being a spectator as he ran after the two. Amanda turned back toward the screen as the two men nodded at each other.

"On my count…go!" The two went out the door instantly getting attention from the infected as they swung the door open fast and hard. They started popping off shots fast, and was running down the street.

"Don't stop go!" Jack called out to his friend, only it was too late. His partner had ran out of shots, constantly hearing then empty clicking sound of the trigger of his gun. The infected surrounded him completely, until they tore into him and took him down. Amanda could see that in Jack's distraction two of the infected each grabbed and bit into an arm, tearing flesh from being as he fired shots wildly into the air, before being taken down screaming in agonizing pain.

A moment later Miyu and Fox were at the front door as seen on the camera feed, where the lynx was stunned in terror as she saw the being torn apart, screaming at the top of his lunges. They met eye contact for a moment before a zombie crawled on top of his face, ripping flesh away and even bit an eye out of its socket.

What did mortal beings do to deserve such a cruel way to die? She was so frozen in terror Miyu wasn't moving as the dead closed in on her. Before they were barely in range to lunge, Fox swept her behind him with one arm, and fired the Scatter Gun right outside the doorway of his front door. A mini explosion of laser light was instantly summoned in front of the two beings still alive, and blew apart the two zombies reaching for Miyu for a late night snack. The kickback from the blast even propelled Fox and Miyu a couple of inches back onto their backsides, not prepared for such a mighty kickback from the sophisticated weapon.

"Shit!" Fox recovered quickly as he forgot the gun and got the front door, such loud sound got the attention of nearly every undead in the immediate vicinity of the area, as he slammed the door shut barely able to block out a few undead trying to get in.

He looked toward the girl still stunned on the ground. "Go get back to the basement!" She didn't listen as the lynx didn't give a verbal reply, just shaking her head back and forth. She was too stunned, too shaken up and wasn't willing to move of her own accord.

That's when Falco picked her up as he looked toward Fox. "Forget the door let's get back!"

"I got it locked! Let's go!" Fox picked up the Scatter Gun as they raced back through the hallway and into the basement, Fox slamming the door behind them and they rejoined the group. The two men breathed easy as they went back to the feed, more and more zombies were banging against his front door trying to break it off of its hinges.

"What do we do? Just let them break the door down?"

"We have no choice, those shots rang the dinner bell for all the zombies in the area, even if it gives there's no way they could break through the door into the basement, nobody from the outside can."

"Miyu?" Fay kneeled down to her friend who just held a mouth hung open and large, fearful eyes. She just watched as another being died right in front of her. If only she wasn't a coward, if she had reacted. Perhaps she could have done something to save him.

A moment later she broke down in tears, letting out a loud, despondent cry as she couldn't stand this reality with a sane mind anymore. Everyone just let her cry, as Fay tried to comfort her and soothe her sobs as quietly as she could. Everyone else's attention was back toward the screen, with two fresh corpses most of the zombies had given up on the door, and joined the two large feeding frenzied groups in on this late night dinner.

"There's no way they could have made it." At this point Slippy had been set free, as he looked toward Fox. "The Refuge Center is miles and miles from here. With little ammunition, they didn't have a snowball's chance in hell."

"The same thing will happen to us if we leave here unprepared." Fox gave back as he looked toward Miyu. Everyone saw what she was like, how she reacted and responded to the situation at hand. She froze in place, unable and unwilling to offer any kind of assistance or even respond to seeing someone die right in front of her.

"There's no way we can leave her on a whim. If our bodies and minds aren't trained to stay alive, we won't survive outside this place." Fox looked over toward his band of survivors.

"Agreed." Falco and Slippy stepped up to both his sides, as Fox peered to them all one-by-one.

"Any objections?" He gave but none had a rebuttal. Fara, Amanda, and especially Miyu. No one disagreed this time around. They all saw on the newsfeed or up close what would happen if they left here so soon. They would end up dead, nothing but torn flesh and bone, a meal for the zombie outbreak.

After this the group couldn't have been any lower. They had their homes, their family, their very lives torn away from them. They had already lost one of their own, and who knows how many countless others have fallen prey to this outbreak. The Final Front was out there, wishing to cease all life on the planet. But through the ashes in the wake of their most desperate hour. A vulpine would call to rally his militia.

"We saw what would happen if we went out there now. Most, if not all of us, will die. I still can't control what you do. If you want to go out there and face that, I can't stop you. But stay here, learn, train, and fight for our lives and for one another. Let's stay to not just live in this world, but to create a life worth living."

"Here here." Falco was impressed by this little pep talk, as the two smiled toward one another. Fox looked to all his friends, his loved ones as some of their frowns began to change, just like their feelings on the whole situation. He put his hand out in the center, at first alone as he tried to spark something inside them all.

He was soon joined by another, and another, soon all the hands of his friends filled the circle. Even Miyu and Fay had gotten up and put their hands in, showing their commitment to staying and training up with the gear.

"We'll find our parents, we'll fight as one, we'll find a place to call home, and we'll survive."

X

 _Author's Notes_

 _ **Been a while again. My computer was in urgent need of repair (to the point I couldn't use it without them) but didn't really have the money to do so.**_

 _ **Got if fixed right before WoW: Legion went live so that ate my time up until just early in October. However got back into League of Legends again.**_

 _ **Hope you guys enjoy this one and hope to hear from you all soon!**_


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